The Trials of Dahlia Aurentius
by meganlovesdinos
Summary: Dahlia Aurentius is your average girl when she begins at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But a resentful and abusive cousin and a tragedy at the end of her fifth year shatter her world and change her forever. One night, after a terrifying encounter, Dahlia is discovered by Draco Malfoy. A friendship blossoms. What will happen next? I haven't decided yet :P
1. Chapter 1

I held the parchment firmly in my hand as I reread the letter for the hundredth time. It was my acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I had been waiting for this letter for years. Both my parents had gone to Hogwarts, and I knew I would follow in their footsteps. I was unable to deny it. I was excited. I had been waiting for this since my parents had first told me about Hogwarts all those years ago. But, I had to admit, I was nervous as well. I didn't know anybody who went to Hogwarts. My cousin, Renee, would be starting this year at Hogwarts, as well, but we had never been close. I would be all alone. Not that I particularly minded, as I usually prefer to be alone, but it would be nice to have at least one person I was close to.

My mother knocked on my door. "Are you ready?" She asked with a smile.

"Yes," I answered, mirroring her smile.

"Well, then, let's go," she replied, "your father is waiting in the car." I grabbed my trunk and lugged it down the stairs and out the front door, then flung it into the trunk of the car. I climbed into the backseat, buckled myself in, and watched as my home faded from view.

We arrived at the station rather quickly. My father unloaded my luggage from the trunk of the car, and we walked into the train station and toward the barrier that led to Platform 9 ¾. I felt my stomach do a flip.

"Excuse me, Mum, I need to use the restroom," I called over my shoulder as I walked away. My parents waited patiently for me outside the restroom. I took slow, even breaths to calm myself down. I looked at myself in the mirror. My light blonde hair was straight down the middle of my back. My bangs were cut evenly straight across my forehead. The yellow flecks in my blue eyes sparkled with excitement. I looked okay. Good, even. Normal, at least. There was nothing about my appearance that gave anybody any reason to tease me. I was pleased. I took another deep breath, then exited the bathroom. We quickly found Platform 9 ¾, and my mother started to tear up as we said our goodbyes.

"Be careful, Honey. I love you. Don't study too hard," she teased, and then smiled, causing a solitary tear to roll down her cheek. Her green eyes sparkled and her long, blonde hair was pulled back into a bun.

"I won't, Mum. I love you, too," I said, hugging her.

"Don't let anybody give you any trouble. If they do, just hex them. I'm sure you know enough of those already," he laughed, his blue eyes full of pride for his daughter. I laughed, too. I had spent every waking moment reading my textbooks since we had purchased them from Diagon Alley. I was too excited to wait. I hugged him, then grabbed my luggage and boarded the train.

I searched the train until I found an empty compartment. I put my luggage in the overhead compartment and sat down. I watched the scenery whiz by in a blur as the train sped down the tracks. Suddenly, the compartment door slid open and a girl stepped inside. She was young, obviously a first year. She had very bushy, brown hair.

"Hello. Do you mind if I sit here?" She asked.

"Not at all," I replied, motioning for her to sit down. She did.

"My name is Hermione Granger," she said, holding out her hand.

I shook it. "I'm Dahlia Aurentius," I smiled. She smiled back. Just then, the compartment door opened and two more girls entered. They were identical. Both were average height, with long, dark brown hair, green eyes, and pale skin.

"Hello," they said in unison.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" asked the one on the left.

"All the other seats are taken," said the one on the right. I looked at Hermione to make sure she didn't mind. She nodded in approval.

"Sure, make yourselves at home," I said. They both walked in and sat opposite Hermione and me.

"I'm Jessica Vollard," said the one on the left.

"I'm Vivian Vollard," said the one on the right. They both smiled.

"I'm Dahlia Aurentius," I replied, and smiled back.

"And I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione joined the conversation. We began talking when the compartment door was opened once more. Three people stood in the hallway, one girl and two boys.

The girl spoke first. "May we sit here?" She was short, but still about an inch taller than me. She had long black hair with brown eyes and green flecks amidst the brown. The two boys stood behind her with hopeful looks on their faces. They were both rather tall. One had brown, tousled hair and green eyes. The other had wavy, dark blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Sure, come on in," I replied. The trio sat down and introduced themselves.

"I'm Scarlett Brewer," said the girl. "This is my brother-"

"Finn Brewer," interrupted the boy with brown hair.

"And I'm Spencer Platoon," announced the blonde boy. Hermione, the twins, and I introduced ourselves. The seven of us talked and joked the entire way to Hogwarts. When we arrived, we all exited the train together.

There was a large man, larger than I had ever seen, beckoning first years to follow him. The seven of us obliged, and followed the large man to a lake, where we boarded boats. The lights from the castle were reflected in the water as ripples from our slow-moving boats distorted the picture. I looked up from the reflection to stare at the real castle. It was extremely large, and very beautifully constructed. Huge stone towers rose above the rest of the castle.

We reached the other shore of the lake and entered into the castle. I felt the nervous tension rise in the pit of my stomach as we were led into the Great Hall. The rest of the students were already there. Ahead of us was a hat sitting on a stool. I knew what this was: the sorting. My parents had told me about it. I wondered which house I would be in. My father was a Gryffindor and my mother was a Ravenclaw, so I assumed it would be one of those two. I believed the latter to be much more likely, though. I was smart, but not very brave. It wasn't long until my name was called out.

"Dahlia Aurentius," called a tall, bespectacled witch. I automatically felt my stomach tighten. I walked up slowly and sat down on the stool. The hat was placed on my head.

"Ah!" The hat yelled to me. "You are smart, that is obvious. Yes, just as you believe, you would do well in Ravenclaw. But there is much more to you than you currently realize. I know where to place you. Gryffindor!" The hat exclaimed to the hall. The Gryffindor table erupted in a burst of cheers and applause. I smiled and walked over to the Gryffindor table, confused. I didn't belong in Gryffindor, did I?

I watched the rest of the sorting. My cousin, Renee Jenald, was placed in Ravenclaw. Then I watched as each and every one of my friends from the train was placed in Gryffindor beside me.

Perhaps Hogwarts wouldn't be so bad, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Five years later, at the end of Dahlia's fifth year:

I lazily walked out of the Great Hall and began walking toward Gryffindor Tower. It was the last day of my fifth year at Hogwarts. Not much had changed over the five years I had been at the school. I had grown up, sure. My body had filled out and I looked more like a woman as opposed to a girl. I still had the same haircut, though, as I was rather partial to it. I was still friend with the six people I had met that first day on the Hogwarts Express. And I had, through my valiant efforts, remained mostly unnoticed. I went out of my way to avoid being the center of attention. I didn't break many rules, and, when I did, I didn't get caught. I did well in classes, but didn't overtly participate in classroom discussions. I had done my best to remain mostly invisible. And, for the most part, it had worked. It's not that I absolutely hated people. I loved my friends. I just needed my alone time and hated all the attention being focused on me. My friends understood.

The sound of obnoxious laughter and drunken yelling reached my ears before I even reached the common room. Seeing as tonight was the last night of term, someone in Gryffindor had decided to throw a party. I waded through my crowd and went up to my room to lie down. Parties weren't exactly my idea of fun. Too many people, all acting like drunken idiots. I tried to ignore it, but the party was too loud. The noise flooded up the stairs and pounded on my eardrums.

I let out a sigh of defeat. I got up off my bed, waded back through the crowded common room, and out into the castle. I turned down one corridor, and then another. I had travelled these halls so often on my late night walks that I didn't even have to think about where I was walking anymore.

I heard a voice behind me. "Dahlia?" it questioned. I turned and looked at where the voice had come from. Out of the shadows stepped Christian Creever, a fellow Gryffindor. "Where are you going? You look nice," he slurred his words.

"I'm going on a walk, Creever, not that it's any of your business. You look drunk." I had no patience for his drunken antics.

"Why do you have to be so mean?" He walked toward me. I could smell the alcohol on him.

"Why do you have to be so juvenile and cliché? A drunk teenage boy? How original!" I retorted, the sarcasm practically dripping from my mouth.

"Don't insult me!" he yelled, quickly stepping toward me. I tried to back away, but my back was already against the wall.

I should have been scared. I should have run away. But he had thoroughly angered me, and I refused to back down. I refused to lose to a drunken imbecile. "Try not to make it so easy next time," I replied with a smirk.

He laughed at me and pinned me to the wall. I tried to push him off, but he was too strong. I thought about my wand, sitting on my nightstand, in the dormitory. I tried to scream, but he pulled out his wand and put a silencing charm on me. I could see the anger in his eyes. "You know, Aurentius," he said as he placed a hand on my hip, the other still holding me against the wall, "I have always found you exceptionally attractive." His hand started reaching up my shirt. My eyes grew wide as I realized what he was doing. I thrashed, trying to get away, but he grabbed his wand again and bound me. His hand found its way up my shirt again. I tried screaming as he groped me, but no sound emerged. His hand lowered as he unbuttoned my pants and pulled them down. Tears ran down my face. I struggled against the ropes, trying to break free. He unbuttoned and pulled down his pants. I screamed as loud as I could. Still nothing. I watched helplessly as he lowered his body over mine.

I knew what he was going to do. I knew what was going to happen next. And there was nothing I could do to stop it. Nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

"Happy Birthday!" my mother yelled. "Make a wish!"

I weakly blew out my birthday candles. I was officially sixteen. Applause erupted from my family all around me, except from my cousin, Renee. A few years ago, when we were both thirteen, both her parents had died in a fire. She moved in with us. She resented me for having both my parents. She had once been a sweet girl, but losing both her parents at the same time when she was so young had changed her. She showed how much she resented me by regularly beating me. She had a particularly harsh scowl on her face today and I knew I was in a particularly bad beating later. But I didn't care. After three years, I was rather accustomed to it. Besides, my mind was otherwise preoccupied.

It had been three months. Three months since Christian Creever in the dark, deserted hallways of Hogwarts. Three months of shame. Three months of tears. Three months of nightmares. Three months of silence.

I still hadn't told anybody what had happened. I didn't want to see the pain and shame in their eyes. I didn't want to talk about it. I wanted to block it out and pretend it had never happened. But the memory plagues me every night while I slept. And now I had to return to the castle. Tomorrow. Never had Hogwarts seemed so ominous.

Once the party festivities ended, I waddled to my room, fat on cake and ice cream. I felt the darkness wash over me as I was once again plunged into my nightmare.

I was awoken by the sound of my door latching shut. My eyes fluttered open just as someone grabbed my leg and pulled me out of bed. I fell to the floor. I looked up to see the shape of Renee standing over me. She kicked me in the side and I instinctively grabbed it. She kicked me again. Then she sat on me and punched me a few times in the abdomen before getting up and leaving. I just lay on the floor. She used to yell at me while she hit me, but not she did it in silence. She was always sure to hit me in places where my bruises could be easily hidden. I had always bruised easily, anyway, so any bruises that were seen were easily explained away.

I stared at the ceiling. The shadows from the people outside and headlights from passing cars reflected through my windows and onto the ceiling. The pain in my abdomen slowly faded. I couldn't sleep. I slowly got up, grabbed a towel from the hallway linen closet, and entered the bathroom.

I turned on the water in the shower, meticulously adjusting the knobs until the temperature was just right. I climbed into the shower and let the hot water relax my muscles. It felt nice as long as I didn't let the water directly hit my bruises. When I was done, I stepped out of the shower, blow-dried and brushed my hair, wrapped a towel around myself and walked to my bedroom.

I looked at the clock on my nightstand. It was 5:34 AM. I slipped on some jeans and a purple V-neck. The sky began to lighten as the sun conquered the night. I walked over to my window and opened it. The cool morning breeze caressed my face. I sat on the windowsill and threw my legs over it, resting my feet on the roof.

I watched the sun rise. The light cast an explosion of orange and pink across the sky. I inhaled the air, damp with dew, as the sun's rays warmed my cheeks. I smiled. For the first time in three months, it felt like everything was going to be okay.


	4. Chapter 4

My parents, Renee, and I stood on Platform 9 ¾, saying our goodbyes. Renee ran off to meet her friends. She was a Ravenclaw, but she had begun to spend more time with Slytherins since her parents had died.

I gave my parents hugs, then boarded the train to meet my friends. I was talking to Scarlett, when I felt the sudden urge to be alone. I didn't care where, I just needed some time for myself. "Um, I'm gonna go for a walk. I'll be back in a bit, guys," I announced.

I stood up and exited the compartment. I walked through the train. Voices and laughter drifted out of the compartments as I walked by. I was a few cars away from my car when I heard someone yell. I walked toward the area where the yell had come from. I waded through the gathering crowd to find out what had caused the commotion. I saw Draco Malfoy standing over a helpless second-year Ravenclaw. He had his wand out; he was threatening the second-year. I looked at the boy cowering on the ground. He was terrified. The look on his face was one of hopelessness. The same look that had been on my face that night in that dark hallway at Hogwarts.

I felt a burning sensation in the pit of my stomach. The anger built up inside me and filled me up like a balloon about to burst. I couldn't allow this. I wouldn't.

"Malfoy! Stop!" I yelled at the tall, blonde Slytherin in front of me. Everyone stared at me. Malfoy stood up straight and averted his attention from the cowering second-year to me. I had never actually talked to Malfoy. I knew him by reputation and had, therefore, avoided him. But I had to stop this. So, for the first time in my Hogwarts career, I drew the attention to myself.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, filthy Gryffindor? Do you know who you are talking to?"

"I am Dahlia Aurentius, not that it's any of your business. By the looks of it, I am speaking to an ignorant bully," I replied, surprising even myself. Many of the people surrounding us were staring at me with their mouths hanging open. I looked Malfoy directly in the eyes. He was livid.

"How dare you speak to me in such a manner?!" He yelled, pointing his wand at me. I had already drawn mine, and I pointed it at him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Malfoy. I guarantee I can cast a spell more quickly than you. And if you did miraculously manage to injure me, we both know you would have detention until Christmas," I smirked at him. Anger flashed across his face, but he lowered his wand. He knew he was defeated.

"You'll regret this," he threatened as he turned and walked away, the anger still evident on his face. I waited until he was out of sight before I put my wand away. I walked forward and outstretched my hand to the second-year, offering to help him up.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Y-yeah. Thank you," he stuttered. He turned and ran the opposite direction that Malfoy had. I sighed and walked back to my compartment. When I entered and sat down, I explained to all my friends what had happened.

"Are you okay?" asked Finn, the worry evident on his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I reassured him.

"That's brilliant!" exclaimed Spencer.

"Yeah, I can't believe Malfoy got his ass handed to him by a girl. Must have been a harsh blow to his ego," laughed Scarlett. I laughed along with her. Out of all my friends, I was, by far, the closest to Scarlett. We all spoke of nothing but the Malfoy incident the rest of the way to Hogwarts. When we arrived to the castle, we took the carriages up to the front door and entered the Great Hall for the opening ceremony.

The first-years had been sorted and everyone was enjoying the feast. I was talking to Scarlett, describing the anger in Malfoy's face for the millionth time, when I looked up. There he was. Christian Creever. He was staring directly at me, his brown eyes burning holes through me. I felt a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. My heart began to race. I felt lightheaded. Scarlett noticed.

"Dahlia, are you alright?" she asked.

"I-I don't know. I feel sick," I replied. The room began to spin.

"Here, I'll take you to the restroom." She grabbed my arm and helped me up, then walked me to the closest lavatory. As soon as we entered, I ran to the nearest stall, hunched over the toilet, and vomited. "Dahlia! Are you okay? Do you need me to take you to the Hospital Wing?" Scarlett asked, the worry growing more and more obvious as she spoke.

"No," I replied when I was done vomiting. "No, I'm fine. Can we just wait here until the feast is over and we can go to the common room? I don't want to go back in there." She nodded, but the worried look was still on her face. We sat in the bathroom until the feast was over, then we walked up to the common room and into the dorms. I collapsed on my bed, only to have nightmare of those brown eyes staring at me.


	5. Chapter 5

I awoke the next morning feeling as if I hadn't slept at all. I groggily got out of bed, took a shower, and got ready for classes. I looked at my schedule. I had potions first with the Slytherins, then transfiguration with the Ravenclaws, and Care of Magical Creatures that afternoon, again with the Slytherins. I groaned. Two classes with the Slytherins? And potions first thing in the morning?

I grabbed my bag and headed down to the dungeons. I walked into the potions classroom, over to an empty table, and sat down. Eventually, Scarlett, Finn, Spencer, Jenessa, and Vivian all walked in and sat around me. Hermione walked in, smiled and waved, but sat down with Harry and Ron. I smiled and waved back, not at all upset by her choice of partners. I was just glad we could still consider each other friends.

The Slytherins slowly filed in, as well, and Professor Slughorn eventually entered and took his place at the front of the classroom. "Good morning, students," he announced. "I have one objective I would like to accomplish before I set you loose on your potions. Everybody stand up and move to the back of the classroom." Students whispered to each other, confused, but migrated to the back of the classroom anyway. "I will be assigning each of you partners and a seating chart," he explained. "These arrangements will be permanent, so get to know your partners well."

All the students groaned. I silently hoped that I would get Scarlett, or Finn, or Spencer, or one of the twins, or _anyone_ in Gryffindor. My hopes were slowly fading as I watched as all my friends were partnered off with other people. It wasn't long before my name was called.

"Miss Aurentius, you will sit here," Slughorn said, pointing to a seat at an empty table. I walked over and sat down. "Your partner will be Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy, please sit here," he pointed to the seat next to me. My jaw dropped a little, but I quickly closed it before Malfoy could see. He sat next to me without saying a word, but a scowl was plastered on his face. Once Slughorn was finished with the seating, he set us free to begin our potions.

"Go get the ingredients, _Aurentius_," Malfoy sneered my name. I glowered at him. I opened my book to the appropriate page and retrieved the appropriate ingredients. Once I returned, Malfoy set to work on the potion. Though I would never admit it to him, I was grateful. I had never been too good at potions. Potions was too much like cooking, with recipes and such. I had never been too good at cooking, either. I thought I was home free, but about halfway through class, Malfoy assigned me a task.

"Here," he said, handing me a plant. "Crush this wolfsbane, then sprinkle it into the potion." I looked over at him. He was busy trying to cut open a root to try and get the juice out of it. I sighed and began crushing the wolfsbane. When I was done, I put the crushed particles into the cauldron. Only, I didn't sprinkle them. They just sort of fell in one big glob. The potion immediately turned bright orange and began bubbling over. Some spilled on my hand. It started to burn. Like, really burn. But I didn't do anything. I just sat there, staring at my burning hand.

"Aurentius, what did you do?" Malfoy yelled at me. I snapped out of my trance and looked up at him.

"I-I don't-" I started to say, but I didn't know what to say. I was embarrassed; everyone was staring at us now. The pain in my hand was worsening, making it difficult to focus. Malfoy grabbed my arm and led me over to the nearest sink to rinse off my hand.

"The burn is too severe. You need to go to the Hospital Wing," he said. He grabbed my arm and led me out of the classroom and toward the Hospital Wing.

Draco's POV:

I looked over at the cauldron to see that it had turned orange and was bubbling over. Aurentius had some on her hand. It was burning her. She was just staring at it. Why wasn't she doing anything? "Aurentius, what did you do?" I yelled at her. She looked up at me. She looked dazed.

"I-I don't-" she stuttered. I didn't wait for her to finish. I grabbed her arm and walked her over to the sink to rinse her hand. The burn was bad.

"The burn is too severe. You need to go to the Hospital Wing," I said to her. I grabbed her arm and led her out of the classroom.

Wait, why was I taking her to the Hospital Wing? There was a classroom full of completely able students who could have taken her. Why didn't I tell any of them to take her?

What, and stay there to take the blame and have to clean up the mess? Yeah, right. I might as well take a walk to the Hospital Wing and dodge that bullet. Stupid Gryffindor.

We arrived at the Hospital Wing and I walked her over to Madame Pomfrey. "Our potion went wrong; it burned her," I said simply. Madame Pomfrey looked at Aurentius' hand, disappeared into a room in the back, and returned with some ointment. She spread the ointment over Aurentius' hand, and put a wrap around the burn.

"Just leave it be, dear, it should be fine by morning," she smiled at us. Aurentius smiled back. I turned and walked out of the Hospital Wing.

"Wait!" I heard Aurentius call behind me. I turned around. Why did I turn around? Why didn't I just keep walking?

"What do you want?" I growled. She was wasting my time.

I-I just wanted to thank you," she replied. She looked sincere. "I know you didn't have to walk me to the Hospital Wing, or even clean my wound. I don't know why you did, but I'm grateful, regardless. So, thank you," she paused. I didn't say anything. She continued. "I would also like to apologize." Did I hear her correctly? "I messed up our potion. I didn't mean to, but I did. And I know you'll lose points on it, too. I hate to admit it, but I'm rubbish at potions. Always have been. So, I'm sorry." She bit her lip nervously. I looked into her eyes; she looked down at the ground. Why was she being so open? And nice? She hated me, she had made that very obvious the first time we had met. And how could she be so open with someone she didn't even know? Why couldn't I be that open with anyone?

Wait, what? No, I didn't mean that. Who needs friends when you have power?

"Save your apologies for someone who cares," I muttered I turned around and walked away without another glance in her direction.

Dahlia's POV:

I watched as Malfoy walked out of the Hospital Wing. I sighed. I had to thank him. He had helped me, after all. I chased after him. "Wait!" I yelled. He turned around. He looked annoyed. "I-I just wanted to thank you," I stuttered. I hoped I wasn't pissing him off too much. "I know you didn't have to walk me to the Hospital Wing, or even clean my wound. I don't know why you did, but I'm grateful, regardless. So, thank you," I took a deep breath. "I would also like to apologize." He looked surprised. "I messed up our potion. I didn't mean to, but I did. And I know you'll lose points on it, too. I hate to admit it, but I'm rubbish at potions. Always have been. So, I'm sorry." I bit my lip nervously. He looked in my eyes; I looked at the floor. I had never looked Malfoy in the eyes before. His eyes were so blue. Almost icy, but there was a warmth within them.

"Save your apologies for someone who cares," he walked away. He didn't look back.


	6. Chapter 6

I walked back to the potions classroom and gathered my bag before Slughorn had the chance to talk to me. Malfoy had obviously already been there; his bag was gone. I ran to my Transfiguration class to avoid being late. I sat next to Scarlett.

"What did Malfoy do after you left the classroom?" was the first thing she said to me.

I scoffed at her preference for gossip over my wellbeing. "Don't even ask me if I'm okay? I see how it is," I laughed.

"You're obviously fine, or you wouldn't be here. Now tell me what happened," she pleaded, her gossip obsession becoming more prevalent.

"Nothing, he just took me to the Hospital Wing," I gave her a play-by-play of what had happened from after I left the Potions classroom to when I had entered the Transfiguration classroom.

"So, let me get this straight. He walked you all the way to the Hospital Wing, waited to leave until you were taken care of, and wasn't spewing insults the entire time?" I nodded. "Weird," she said.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Weird." After Transfiguration, Scarlett went to lunch. I wasn't hungry, so I decided to go out into the grounds. I sat in the grass at the edge of the lake. I looked out as the sun's rays reflected off the surface of the water. I leaned back in the grass, looking up into the cloudless sky. The sun's rays warmed my face and the slight breeze calmed me. I slowly drifted off into a relaxing sleep. The first sleep in three months that wasn't filled with nightmares.

Draco's POV

I walked out of the castle. I just needed to be alone. There was too much expected of me, I had to be who my friends, no, followers, expected me to be. I had to live up to my father's expectations. I was expected to follow in his footsteps. There was no choice in the matter. My path was chosen for me.

But what if that wasn't the path I wanted? What if I wanted another path? A better path? Was there anything I could do about it? If there ever was, there wasn't now. I was already in too deep. My eyes glanced involuntarily at my left arm.

I sighed a sigh of defeat. I was trapped. There was no way out. If I tried to leave, I would die. If I stayed, I would die. No matter what, I was sentenced to execution. The only choice I had was the manner in which it would be done. But, that still was at least some form of choice. And I often wondered if I was making the correct one. I could die a coward, only doing things because I was told to, only following orders from him because it had been what I was told to do since the time my ears had begun functioning. Or, perhaps, I could die valiant. I could die a hero. I could fight alongside those people I had only hated because I had been told to hate them. At least that would be my own choice, and I would be in control of my own future.

People take it for granted, the power of choice. I only realized that when mine was taken away.

I looked around, my eyes wandering aimlessly, until I saw a figure by the edge of the lake.

Dahlia.

No, Aurentius.

Why had I called her by her first name? Her hands were behind her head. Her chest was rising and falling slowly with each breath she took. Was she…sleeping? Yes, it appeared so. She looked peaceful. I silently envied her. Why did she deserve peace? Why didn't I?

Why did I care? I hated this girl. She had humiliated me on the train. She had disrespected me. She had cost me points on a Potions assignment and wasted my time by allowing herself to be injured and forcing me to take her to the Hospital Wing.

But, she had stood up to me. That impressed me. No students in Hogwarts besides Potter and his merry band of buffoons stood up to me. I viewed her as an equal. What, no I didn't. I was of a much nobler name, and her incompetence was made obvious in the classroom that morning.

But I couldn't deny that she interested me. I was curious. I wanted to know more about her. Why? I didn't know. But I had a choice about it. This was the one thing I could choose-what I did at school. Who I spent time with and what I did in my spare time. I had other obligations, but I needed this. I needed to choose something for myself. I needed somebody around who didn't expect me to be the person my father wanted me to be.

Anybody in Slytherin? Out. They all knew what was expected of me, and supported it completely. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff? Too insignificant. It wasn't a big enough leap. But a Gryffindor? The polar opposite of me? Someone I was supposed to hate? Now, that was a choice.

And I chose her. At least she was an interesting choice.

Her friends emerged from the castle and woke her. I watched them walk over to Hagrid's Hut. She had Care of Magical Creatures? Perhaps I would get to learn more about her, after all.

Dahlia's POV:

I awoke to Scarlett's voice. "Wake up, Sleepyhead!" she yelled as she pounced on me. I jumped up immediately.

"I'm up!" I yelled, holding my hands up to prevent further attack. We both laughed and she grabbed my arm as we walked toward Hagrid's Hut.

"Hagrid!" I greeted him, remembering fondly the first time I had seen him all those years ago.

"Dahlia!" He exclaimed in his deep voice. "How are ye'?"

"Fine, and you?" I asked in return.

"I'm great! I have a feelin' yer gonna like today's lesson," he chuckled. We waited patiently as the rest of the class arrived. I looked up right as Malfoy arrived. He was looking directly at me. I looked down at the ground. Why had he been looking at me?

"Now that we're all here," Hagrid announced, "I'll show you what we'll be learnin' 'bout today." He walked behind his house and returned carrying a crate. He opened it and out stepped a puppy with three heads. I laughed as I recalled Hermione's stories about Fluffy. This must have been his offspring. "This is Rufus. He is a Cerberus." The puppy bounded straight at me and jumped up, placing his upper paws on my legs. I laughed and bent over and pet him softly. Hagrid continued talking, but I was too busy playing with Rufus to notice.

Draco's POV:

I waited a few minutes before Aurentius had disappeared from view before standing and walking toward the hut. I looked at her as I walked up. She caught my gaze, then looked quickly away. The giant drawled on at the front of the group, then retrieved a crate. He opened it, revealing a three-headed dog. The dog ran over to Aurentius. She reached down and pet it, then began to play with it. She ran around and threw sticks for it, congratulating whichever head had retrieved the stick. She looked happy. Her smile dominated her face.

How could she be so happy? How could anybody be so happy? Was it real? Why did this girl seem so interesting to me? She had a toughness about her; she could handle herself. But, on the inside, was a soft, caring woman. I couldn't deny my curiosity. I wanted to know her.

When class was over, the oaf corralled the puppy and Aurentius and her friends walked back toward the castle. I followed suit.

Dahlia's POV:

We all walked back to the castle after class was over. It was getting late; the sun was starting to set. We walked into the Great Hall and sat down for dinner. I reflected on the day as I ate. It had been, overall, a great day. Sure, it had started off with me blowing up a potion and injuring myself, but it had gotten better from then. I was able to spend time with my friends, play with a puppy, and, for the first time in three months, I had slept without being plagued by nightmares. And tonight, Christian Creever was not at dinner. I smiled and laughed along with my friends, filling up on food.

When dinner was done, we all walked back to the common room. The abundance of food had made me sleepy. I walked up to my dorm, crawled into my bed, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

I sat straight up in my bed and put my hand over my mouth to keep from screaming. Despite my good day, I had still revisited the dark and deserted hallway in my sleep.

I looked at the clock on my nightstand. It read 2:17 AM. I knew I would get no more sleep. I threw my legs out of bed, slipped on some shoes and got dressed, and quietly snuck out of the common room.

I walked quietly through the castle hallways. Walking always made me feel better. I intentionally avoided a certain hallway, though, and went down the stairs to the dungeons. I wanted to be as far as possible from the hallway on the seventh floor. I turned a corner and, suddenly, someone pushed me against the wall. I looked up to see who it was. I was looking right into the eyes of Christian Creever.

"Hey, Dahlia. Long time no see," He smirked at me.

I panicked.

My heart started pounding and my eyes were watering. I felt my mouth go dry. I tried to scream, but I couldn't.

It wasn't happening. No, not again.

He must have seen the fear in my eyes. "Don't worry," he hissed, "we're not going to repeat what happened last year. No, I was drunk. I would never touch you if I were sober," he laughed to himself.

I fought to break free. I couldn't.

No," he continued, "I only followed you here to clarify a few things. You are to tell nobody what happened last year. We both know you liked it, anyway." I felt my stomach tighten. I fought back the vomit. "I want nothing to do with you. And if you do tell anyone or make any attempts to contact me, I will make you regret it," he warned, a sick smile on his face.

I heard footsteps. Creever let me go and ran off. I fell to a heap on the floor. I sobbed. Everything I had been trying to forget came flooding back into my memory. The alcohol on his breath. The feel of his hands on my body. The ropes cutting into my wrist. Screaming silently. The feeling of pure helplessness. All of these memories burst into my head as if they had happened yesterday. I couldn't contain it anymore. All of my emotions came bursting out as I lay sobbing on the floor and the footsteps grew louder.

Draco's POV:

I watched her all through dinner. She looked so happy. How could a person be so happy? Once she left the Great Hall, I felt utterly bored. I stood and retreated back to the Slytherin common room.

I tried to sleep. I was unsuccessful. I sighed and got up out of my bed. I wandered the halls. I did this so often, I didn't even have to think about where I was going anymore. I heard voices ahead. And…was someone crying? I cautiously walked toward the voices.

I heard heavy footsteps. Someone was running away. I continued toward where the sounds had been coming from. I saw something on the floor, no, someone on the floor. Was that…Aurentius? I looked more closely. Yes, it was her. She was on the floor, sobbing. I stepped toward her. Now was my chance.

"Are you okay?" I asked. She jumped, then looked up at me. Her face was covered in tears. She began sobbing again. I walked over and sat down next to her. To my surprise, she wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me tighter than I would have thought her capable of. I wrapped my arms around her. It felt more natural than I would have thought. "What happened?" I asked once more.

"Last year, the Gryffindors threw a party at the end of the year. I don't really like parties, so I decided to take a walk. In one hallway, there was this guy," she bit her lip, hard. "He tried to talk to me. I told him to leave me alone and go back to the party. He wouldn't listen." Her voice began to shake. "He-he pushed me against the wall." Tears began running down her face again. "I tried to scream, but he p-put a s-silencing charm on m-me. H-he bound me, t-too." The tears started coming down more heavily. "He l-laid me on the g-ground and t-took off my p-pants," she said between sobs. "He-he," she began crying too hard to finish her sentence, but she didn't have to. I knew what had happened.

Something snapped inside of me. Looking at this girl crying, helpless, all alone, just reminded me of how pureblood families worked, how the women were objects owned by the men, and how they were required to do whatever the men asked. They had no choice. I refused to continue that legacy. I refused to ever take away anybody's choice. Everybody had a right to a choice. And the girl crying in my arms had had hers taken away. I was angry. Really angry. I was no longer holding her to further my own agenda. I was no longer trying to convince her I cared. I really did care. I clenched my hands into fists. My knuckles were white.

She took a deep breath and began again. "I had a nightmare tonight, so I decided to take a walk. He-he followed me. He told me that if I told anyone what had happened, he would make me regret it." Her sobs had subsided, but tears still silently rolled down her cheeks. She looked as if she might vomit.

"What's his name?" I asked through clenched teeth.

She looked up at me, confusion and worry evident on her face. "What? Why? It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does!" I growled. She jumped. I felt guilty for scaring her. "He deserves to pay for what he did to you. If you tell me his name, I assure you he will." I had softened my tone, but it was still obvious that my threat was serious.

She pulled away from me. "Oh, no! I don't want this to be bigger than it needs to be. I just want to move on, please. Nobody else even knows. Don't do anything about it. Just forget about it. Just, please, stay with me? I don't want to be alone right now." She mumbled the last two sentences. She began to cry again.

"Don't cry, Dahlia," I pulled her into my chest and gently ran my fingers through her hair. It felt strange. I had never done it before. I had never held anyone like that before. But I felt the need to make her feel better. I didn't like seeing her cry.

She wrapped her arms around me again and cried into my chest. I held her until her breathing slowed. She was sleeping. I decided to stay with her until morning. There was no way in hell I was going to leave her alone, and she looked so peaceful I refused to disturb her sleep. I held her until I saw the sky begin to lighten outside the castle windows.

Dahlia's POV:

"Are you okay?" I heard a voice ask me. I looked up and saw Malfoy. What was he doing here? Oh God, why did he have to be here and see me like this? What was he going to do? I began sobbing again. I couldn't help it. He walked over and sat down next to me. I lunged for him and wrapped my arms around him and snuggled my face into his chest. I just wanted to feel close to somebody. To my surprise, he held me back. "What happened?" he asked.

"Last year, the Gryffindors threw a party at the end of the year. I don't really like parties, so I decided to take a walk. In one hallway, there was this guy," I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears. "He tried to talk to me. I told him to leave me alone and go back to the party. He wouldn't listen. He-he pushed me against the wall." I began crying again. "I tried to scream, but he p-put a s-silencing charm on m-me. H-he bound me, t-too. He l-laid me on the g-ground and t-took off my p-pants. He-he," I was sobbing by now. I couldn't finish my sentence. Saying it out loud somehow made it seem more real. I just couldn't say what he had actually done to me. I took two deep breaths, trying to calm down. I spoke again. "I had a nightmare tonight, so I decided to take a walk. He-he followed me. He told me that if I told anyone what had happened, he would make me regret it." My stomach tightened. I had to fight back the nausea.

"What's his name?" Malfoy asked. I looked up at him. He looked angry. I hoped he wasn't angry with me.

"What? Why? It doesn't matter," I replied. Why did he want to know?

"Yes it does!" he practically yelled. I jumped; it startled me. Why was he so angry? "He deserves to pay for what he did to you. If you tell me his name, I assure you he will." He spoke more softly this time, but I still shuddered at the threat he had made. No, I just wanted this to disappear. I didn't want it to escalate. I pulled away from him so I could look him in the eyes and convince him to drop it.

"Oh, no! I don't want this to be bigger than it needs to be. I just want to move on, please. Nobody else even knows. Don't do anything about it. Just forget about it. Just, please, stay with me? I don't want to be alone right now." I mumbled the last part, slightly embarrassed. The tears began to fall down my face again.

"Don't cry, Dahlia," he said softly as he pulled me into his chest and wrapped his arms around me. I held onto him and cried into his chest. I inhaled his scent. He smelled surprisingly good. It reminded me of the ocean on a hot summer day. He ran his fingers through my hair. It calmed me.

What was going on? Was Malfoy really holding me? Why was he being so nice? Why did he get so angry before? Why did he care so much about what had happened to me? Why had he called me Dahlia? Were we on a first name basis now? I supposed it would be appropriate. He did know my biggest secret, after all.

I pushed all of these thoughts to the back of my head. I began to feel tired. It was strange, but being there in Malfoy's arms made me feel safe. I gave in to the fatigue and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

I awoke the next morning, confused. I wasn't in my bed. Where was I? The events of the previous night slowly came back to me. I looked up to find Draco Malfoy staring directly at me.

"Good morning," he smiled at me. It was a real smile.

"Um, morning," I smiled back nervously. I sat up. I noticed how light the sky was outside. "Oh, what time is it? I need to get ready for class," I said. Had anyone noticed I was gone yet?

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," he agreed.

I stood up. "So, I guess I'll see you in Charms?" I asked, awkwardly.

"Uh, yeah. See you then," his reply was just as awkward. I smiled at him before turning and walking back up the stairs toward my common room. He watched me walk away.

I reached the common room before anybody had awoken. I took a shower and got dressed. I was ready just as Scarlett was waking up.

"How are you already ready?" she whined.

"I have the ability to get up when my alarm goes off, an ability which you seem to lack," I teased her. She threw her pillow at me and climbed out of bed. I laughed.

Once Scarlett was ready, we walked to charms together. Malfoy was already in the classroom when I arrived. He gave me a weak smile, but quickly returned to his perpetual scowl. I wondered what had happened. Were we just going to pretend the previous night had never happened and return to the way it had been before? I suddenly began to regret telling him everything I did. Would he tell anyone else? Would he use it against me? It was Malfoy, after all. But, he had seemed so genuine last night. It was as if he really cared. I guess I had fooled myself into believing it was possible. The more I thought about it, the more foolish I felt for believing it. I looked up at him again. He wasn't looking at me.

Charms dragged on. Flitwick just had us review spells we had learned in previous years. I looked up at Malfoy every now and then. He was never looking at me.

The rest of the day dragged on, just as Charms had. By the time dinner rolled around, I was just glad to be done with classes. I walked into the Great Hall with Scarlett. We sat down and began eating. I looked up. Malfoy was sitting at the Slytherin table. He was staring at me. He held my gaze for a few moments before he looked away. He stood up and walked out of the hall.

I scoffed. It was just like him, to act like this after I had opened up to him. What did I expect? It was MALFOY. I felt ashamed that I had opened up to him, and that I had believed he could actually be nice. How stupid could I be? He would always be the same stupid, mean, ruthless, bullying Malfoy. He would never change.

I went to bed angry that night. Angry at Malfoy for being a jerk, and angry at myself for believing his act. The anger was better than the fear, though. That night, there were no drunken boys or dark hallways in my dream, only the ocean on a hot summer day.


	9. Chapter 9

A week passed. Malfoy didn't talk to me. He didn't approach me. He didn't look at me. He didn't even acknowledge I existed.

Classes went on like normal. He didn't interact with me in any of them. He didn't assign me tasks in Potions. He didn't smile at me in Charms. He didn't look at me in the Great Hall. I was invisible. It was worse than him hating me.

I told myself I would let it go. I told myself I would let things go back to the way they had been. But I couldn't. The longer he went without talking to me, the angrier I got about it. I had told him my deepest, darkest secret. I had told him something nobody else knew. My mother didn't know. My father didn't know. Scarlett didn't know. None of my other friends knew. Just Malfoy. Draco Malfoy was the only person who knew what I had been through. I needed some form of closure.

I got my wish. Exactly a week after I had spilled my guts and slept in Malfoy's arms, he stopped me in the hallway outside the Potions classroom. "Can I talk to you?" he asked. He looked nervous. I internally smiled. He deserved to feel nervous.

"Oh, yes, anything you want. Lead the way, sir," I smirked at him, just to make sure he understood the sarcasm. He looked down, ashamed, then led me to a deserted hallway. "You have some nerve-" I began what I planned to be a severe scolding.

"I'm sorry," he blurted before I could finish.

His outburst stunned me. I forgot what I was going to say. "What?" I asked.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I should have talked to you sooner, but I panicked. I didn't know how to react. When I first came across you in the dungeons, crying, I was a selfish, self-centered person. But holding you, hearing your story, seeing you cry and the pain and fear in your eyes, I don't know, something changed in me. I was angry, very angry, about what had happened to you. I cared. I wanted to hurt him, whoever he is, for what he did. Seeing you cry hurt me because I didn't want to see you hurting. As pathetic as it may sound, I've never cared about anybody like that before. I've never really cared about anybody at all. So, I panicked, and began ignoring you, trying to shut you out along with the emotions that scared me. But as I watched you, becoming angrier, I knew I had to say something. Because I don't want you to be angry at me, I want you to be happy with me, or at least happy in general. I've done a lot of thinking this past week, and I've decided I choose my own path. I make my own decisions. And I've decided I want to be your friend, if you'll let me. If you turn me down, I understand, I've been a real ass. But I hope you'll accept me as a friend, because this is the first time I've cared about somebody other than myself, and this is the first time I've made my own decision about my life. Either way, I knew I had to talk to you, because I couldn't stand to see you angry anymore." He stared at the ground and began fidgeting with his hands and shuffling his feet nervously.

My mouth was hanging open, I knew it. But I was too stunned to close it. This couldn't possibly be happening. Draco Malfoy being nice? Wanting to be my friend? Opening up to me? No, it was impossible. It couldn't be possible. This was a joke, it had to be. He was playing a joke on me. That was the only logical explanation.

I began laughing. Hysterically. Malfoy jumped, startled by my laughter, then gave me a look of the deepest confusion. "Oh, you're funny," I told him. "That's the best joke I've ever heard."

He looked down again, obviously very embarrassed. "It's not a joke," he told me. "I meant it."  
I stopped laughing. He looked serious. Either he was the best actor in the world, or he meant it. Neil Patrick Harris was the best actor in the world, so he must have meant it. No, I needed confirmation. I held out my pinky to him. "Pinky promise me you mean it?" I asked him. He looked doubtful. I had to fight back the laughter. My outburst of laughing had made me giddy. I knew I was acting childish, but I didn't care.

"Are you serious?" he asked me, the doubtful look still on his face.

"Of course I am," I reassured him. "Nobody can break a Pinky Promise. It's the ultimate form of betrayal. So, if you really want to be my friend, Pinky Promise me you mean it." I smiled at him.

"Um, okay," he stuck his pinky out. I wrapped my pinky around his and shook our hands.

"Okay," I laughed. "You have proven your honesty. If you really want to be my friend, I would love to be your friend," I smiled at him.

"Really?" he asked, a smile quickly spreading across his face. It was a real smile again, not a smirk.

"Yes, really. But I need to clarify one thing. What I told you last week, you tell nobody. Nobody else knows about that, and I would prefer to keep it that way. Got it?"

"Of course, Dahlia. I would never tell anybody about that." My first name spoken in his voice sounded foreign. It would take some getting used to.

"Alright, good. Now, I need to go to Transfiguration. Want to walk me there, Friend?" We both laughed.

"Sure," he agreed. We walked up the stairs. We didn't talk, but the silence was oddly comforting. "I guess I'll see you later?" he asked me when we reached the classroom.

"Of course." I smiled at him. He began to walk away, but turned around and walked back over to me.

"Hey, you want to, maybe, hang out after class? I know it's supposed to be for lunch and everything, and I understand if you don't want to, but I thought, if we're going to be friends, we should get to know each other, right?" he looked at me hopefully.

"I would love to hang out with you after class, Draco," his name in my voice sounded just as strange as mine in his, but I smiled at him anyway. It would get better with time.

A smile I would have never thought him capable of appeared on his face. "Really? Okay, I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall after class then?"

"Sounds good," I told him, and walked into the classroom. I looked around. The classroom looked the same as it always had. No, I must not be in the Twilight Zone. This was real life. I sat in my normal seat next to Scarlett, still in shock at what had just occurred.

"Where were you?" she asked me. "I thought you were right behind me, but then I got here and you were gone. What happened?" She had obviously not seen me leave to talk to Malfoy. I silently wondered if she was curious out of concern for me, or out of her desire to hear gossip.

"I was talking to Malfoy," I replied. There was no point in hiding it. If Malfoy and I were going to be friends, she was going to find out sometime.

Draco, I reminded himself. Friends call each other by their first names.

She looked at me. "What? Why? What happened? What did he say?"

"He wants to be friends," I told her. Her jaw dropped open. This was the reaction I was expecting.

"No way! Malfoy said he wants to be friends? With you?"

"Yeah, he did," I laughed. "We're hanging out after class."

Her shock was renewed. "I guess I get to sit with Finn at lunch," she whined.

I laughed. "Sorry," I said, only half sincere. She had plenty of people to hang out with; she had no reason to whine.

After class, Scarlett walked with me down to the Entrance Hall. She told me she needed to see me with Malfoy to fully believe me. I half expected to walk down those stairs and find out he had bailed. I had already worked out how I would explain to Scarlett that it was a joke and she was so gullible.

But he was there, waiting for me by the giant doors that led outside. "I guess you were telling the truth," Scarlett told me, her surprise obvious.

"I know," I laughed. "See you later," I walked over to Mal-Draco. Call him Draco, I reminded myself.

"Hey," I greeted him. "You ready?"

"Yeah," he smiled at me. "I was thinking we could sit down by the lake? It's a nice day outside."

He was right. It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining bright in a cloudless sky. "Sure, that sounds great," I replied. We walked outside and down to the lake, then sat in the grass about ten feet from the water's edge. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Well, I figured we could just talk and get to know each other, if you don't mind," he answered.

"No, not at all. What would you like to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know. Just tell me about yourself, your family, your life?"

"Well, my parents are great. My dad works for the Ministry, but he's not serious at all. He's really playful and funny. My mom is really caring. She cares about everybody, and she will go out of her way to help you if she can." I smiled to myself as I thought about my parents. I missed them. I made a mental note to write to them that night before I went to bed. "I'm an only child, but my cousin Renee lives with us because her parents died. My favorite color is purple, l like Italian food, and I want to travel the world." I smiled at him. "What about you? What about your family? Tell me about yourself."

He looked down. "I would rather not talk about my family. It's not like my family affairs are a secret, anyway," he smiled apologetically at me. "But about me? Uh, where to start? I've always enjoyed flying, ever since I was a kid. My favorite color is green. I really like to swim; I like the beach. I am a picky eater. And I, also, want to travel the world," he chuckled. I smiled at him.

There was a moment of silence. "So," I broke it. "Well, since you know my biggest secret, I was thinking, well, you know, maybe you could tell me something about yourself that nobody else knows?" I looked up at him with a hopeful look.

He looked surprised, but then smiled weakly. "Pinky Promise not to tell anyone?" he teased me, holding up his pinky.

"Pinky Promise," I replied, shaking his pinky with my own.

"I'm not happy," he said, bluntly. I was a little taken aback by his response.

"Why not," I asked, a little surprised by how genuinely concerned I was.

He looked at me. "I've had my whole life planned out for me by my father. Where to go, who to follow, what to do, who to talk to, what to say, what not to say. But, I don't want that life. I don't want to take the path he's chosen for me. I don't want to be a part of the things he has forced me to become a part of. I hate how I am. I'm mean to people I have nothing against, simply because my father has told me to do so. I torment people simply because my father tells me they deserve to be tormented. I'm respectful to people I hate; they don't deserve it. None of my friends really know me, they're more like aquaintances. I'm doing things I know are wrong because I'm too afraid to face the consequences of not doing them. I see the other path, it's in my reach, but it's too far away to grasp. I want to be able to travel the world, and have the friends that I want to have, and talk to who I want to talk to. I want to be able to make my own decisions without having to fear my father's wrath, or the safety of my mother. I want to be able to choose my own life, what I do and who I'm involved with. But, I can't."

He was still looking at me. I was transfixed, staring into his eyes. It seemed impossible to break the connection. "Why can't you?" I asked simply.

He finally looked away. "It's complicated. I just can't."

I looked down. I fidgeted with my hands. What was I supposed to say to that? I scooted closer to him until our legs were touching, then I put my head on his shoulder to try and comfort him. He had held me while I was crying, after all, and I didn't like seeing him sad. He needed me, just as I needed him. "It'll be okay. I don't know how, but it will. You have control over your life, Draco. The right path may not be the easy one, but it's still the right one, and you are the only one who gets to decide what path you take. You decide which path is right for you. It's your life. Don't let somebody else decide how to live it. It's yours; you decide. Forget everyone else and make the decision that's right for you. And you don't have to face this alone; I'll be right by your side the whole time. Remember that."

He looked confused. "Why?"

It was my turn to be confused. "Why what?"

"Why will you be right by my side? We just met; you barely know me. You have no reason to care about me and every reason to hate me. It makes no sense."

"Because that's what friends do. I don't know how your other, uh, 'friends' are, but as long as you're my friend, you'll never face anything alone. I'll always be right there beside you to face it with you."

"Thank you," he replied after a long pause.

"For what?" I asked.

"Just, thank you. You have no idea what this means to me. I've never had this before, you know."

"Had what before?"

"A real friend."

"I was saddened by his response. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Just, thank you. And, try to be patient with me. I've never done this before. I've always just had people hang around me out of obligation. I'm not used to having people who actually want to hang around me. It feels strange, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. Just stick through it with me while I get good at it?"

"Of course. What did I just say? As long as you have me as a friend, you'll never have to face anything alone," I lifted my head, looked him in the eye and smiled. He just smiled back without saying anything. A few minutes passed in silence.

I looked up and saw Scarlett, Finn, Spencer, and the twins walking toward us. Scarlett looked smug. Everyone else had a look of utmost shock on their face. "Hey there Dahlia and Dahlia's _friend_," Scarlett said as they reached us. I rolled my eyes. Of course she would do this. It was Scarlett.

"Uh, hey, what's up?" I asked.

"We're on our way to Care of Magical Creatures. Aren't you coming?"

"Oh," I replied. "Oh, yeah." I hadn't realized it was so late. I looked at Draco. "You coming?" I asked, trying not to reveal how hopeful I really was.

He looked at me. "Yeah, of course," he smiled. We both stood up and walked with the rest of the group toward Hagrid's Hut. Draco was obviously uncomfortable. He fidgeted with his hands and didn't say anything the entire walk. My friends didn't make it any better. Finn, Spencer, and the twins just stared at him with shocked expressions on their faces, and Scarlett began ranting about the benefits of friendship. I looked over at him sympathetically. He glanced up at me and caught my eye. I smiled at him in encouragement. He smiled back at me.

When we arrived at Hagrid's Hut, my friends were no longer the only ones with their mouths hanging open. Everyone had seen Draco walk up with us. Everyone was gawking at us. Everyone had their mouths hanging open.

I looked over at Draco. He seemed uncomfortable. He was looking down at the ground. I took a couple steps toward him and looked up into his face. He looked angry. "Are you okay? I asked him.

"Why is everyone staring at us? We're not a show for their amusement. If they don't stop, I'm going to go over there and hex them. It's bloody ridiculous. Honestly, is it really that surprising? And even if it is, they're human beings. They should know enough to mind their manners. It's rude to stare at us the way they are, and I won't accept it."

"Draco, you can't be too mad at them. It is rather surprising to see us together. I still barely believe it myself. Don't do anything to them, it's not worth it. They'll just have to get used to seeing us together, that's all. It's okay," I reassured him. He smiled weakly at me.

"Okay, if you say so. But I'm doing this for you. And they had better get used to it. I don't want to be continuously gawked at forever."

I laughed. "Okay, fair enough. Thank you." He smiled at me and I smiled back. The staring died down throughout the class period. After class was over, I told my friends I would meet up with them later. Draco and I walked around the castle for a bit, then he walked me to my common room. "I had fun today," I told him when we were outside the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Yeah, me too," he agreed.

I smiled. "I'm glad. So, uh, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," he smiled at me. I began to turn around, but he pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back, nuzzling my face into his chest. He rubbed his nose along the top of my head. The hug lasted a few long minutes. "Good night, Dahlia," he whispered in my ear before releasing me.

"Good night, Draco," I smiled widely at him. He smiled back. I walked into the common room with the smile still on my face.


	10. Chapter 10

Draco's POV:

She was sitting next to me, obviously mad. A scowl had been glued to her face for the past week. I couldn't blame her. She had opened up to me, made herself vulnerable, and I had ignored her for a whole week. I had messed everything up. I had to fix it. I had to make it better with her again.

I watched her get up and walk away after class. Now was my chance. I had to talk to her. I followed her out of the classroom. "Can I talk to you?" I asked. I hoped she would agree.

"Oh, yes, anything you want. Lead the way, sir," she replied with a smirk. Oh, jeez, she really was mad at me. Oh, well. There was no backing down now. I led her to a deserted hallway so we could have some privacy.

"You have some nerve-" she began.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out before I could stop myself.

That surprised her. "What?" she asked.

"I'm sorry," I repeated. I had to get this out before I lost my nerve. "I should have talked to you sooner, but I panicked. I didn't know how to react. When I first came across you in the dungeons, crying, I was a selfish, self-centered person. But holding you, hearing your story, seeing you cry and the pain and fear in your eyes, I don't know, something changed in me. I was angry, very angry, about what had happened to you. I cared. I wanted to hurt him, whoever he is, for what he did. Seeing you cry hurt me because I didn't want to see you hurting. As pathetic as it may sound, I've never cared about anybody like that before. I've never really cared about anybody at all. So, I panicked, and began ignoring you, trying to shut you out along with the emotions that scared me. But as I watched you, becoming angrier, I knew I had to say something. Because I don't want you to be angry at me, I want you to be happy with me, or at least happy in general. I've done a lot of thinking this past week, and I've decided I choose my own path. I make my own decisions. And I've decided I want to be your friend, if you'll let me. If you turn me down, I understand, I've been a real ass. But I hope you'll accept me as a friend, because this is the first time I've cared about somebody other than myself, and this is the first time I've made my own decision about my life. Either way, I knew I had to talk to you, because I couldn't stand to see you angry anymore." I said it all in a rush. I looked at my feet, suddenly very nervous and embarrassed. What if she rejected me? What if she didn't want anything to do with me? What if she told everyone what I had just said? What if it all went horribly wrong? I ventured a glance up at her face. Her jaw was hanging wide open.

Then, she just started laughing. Out of nowhere, she began laughing hysterically. I jumped. What was wrong with her? Why was she laughing? What I said wasn't funny, or at least I hadn't realized it was. It made no sense. But, she just kept laughing, ridiculously loud laughing, for several minutes. I gave her a very confused look.

"Oh, you're funny," she said. "That's the best joke I've ever heard."

No, she had to believe me. "It's not a joke," I told her. Why would she think it was a joke?

She considered my statement for a moment, then she held out her pinky to me. "Pinky promise me you mean it?"

What was a pinky promise? "Are you serious?" I asked.

"Of course I am. "Nobody can break a Pinky Promise. It's the ultimate form of betrayal. So, if you really want to be my friend, Pinky Promise me you mean it." She smiled at me.

"Um, okay," I said, offering her my pinky. She wrapped her pinky around mine and shook them. So this is a pinky promise, I thought to myself. It's like a handshake with pinkies.

"Okay. You have proven your honesty. If you really want to be my friend, I would love to be your friend," she smiled at me.

"Really?" I asked. I couldn't contain the smile that was quickly taking over my face.

"Yes, really," she told me. "But I need to clarify one thing. What I told you last week, you tell nobody. Nobody else knows about that, and I would prefer to keep it that way. Got it?"

"Of course, Dahlia. I would never tell anybody about that," I reassured her. I hoped she believed me. I wanted her to know she could trust me.

"Alright, good. Now, I need to go to Transfiguration. Want to walk me there, Friend?" We both laughed.

"Sure," I said. We walked silently up the stairs. Should I ask her? "I guess I'll see you later," I said when we reached the classroom.

"Of course," she assured me. I can't ask her. I began to walk away.

I had to ask her. I turned around. "Hey, you want to, maybe, hang out after class?" I asked. "I know it's supposed to be for lunch and everything, and I understand if you don't want to, but I thought, if we're going to be friends, we should get to know each other, right?" I looked up at her.

"I would love to hang out with you after class, Draco," she answered. I smiled a huge smile. It sounded nice to hear her call me by my first name.

"Really? Okay, I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall after class, then?"

"Sounds good," she agreed, and walked into her classroom. I couldn't hide the huge smile on my face. It stayed there all the way to the greenhouses. Class was boring; I couldn't wait for it to be over. I just ripped leaves into tiny pieces to pass the time. When it was over, I bounded as fast as I could up to the castle to meet Dahlia. I got there just as she was walking down the stairs. Her friend walked beside her, her mouth hanging open.

"Hey," she said when she walked over to me. "You ready?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "I was thinking we could sit down by the lake? It's a nice day outside."

"Sure, that sounds great." We walked down to the lake and sat down next to each other. She was looking out across the lake, when she turned to look at me. "So, what do you want to do?" she asked with a smile.

"Well, I figured we could just talk and get to know each other, if you don't mind."

"No, not at all. What would you like to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know. Just tell me about yourself, your family, your life?" I asked. I just wanted to know about her, I didn't have any particular thing I wanted to know.

"Well, my parents are great. My dad works for the Ministry, but he's not serious at all. He's really playful and funny. My mom is really caring. She cares about everybody, and she will go out of her way to help you if she can." She smiled. Her parents were important to her. I took note of it. "I'm an only child, but my cousin Renee lives with us because her parents died. My favorite color is purple, l like Italian food, and I want to travel the world," she looked at me. "What about you? What about your family? Tell me about yourself."

I looked down at the ground, ashamed that I couldn't go on about how great my family was like she had. "I would rather not talk about my family. It's not like my family affairs are a secret, anyway," I smiled weakly at her, trying to patch up the awkwardness. "But about me? Uh, where to start?" Why was this so difficult? I always talked about myself. Why was it any different now? "I've always enjoyed flying, ever since I was a kid," I began. "My favorite color is green. I really like to swim; I like the beach. I am a picky eater. And I, also, want to travel the world," I chuckled and she smiled.

"So," she said after a few minutes of silence. "Well, since you know my biggest secret, I was thinking, well, you know, maybe you could tell me something about yourself that nobody else knows?" she looked at me with eyes full of hope.

Hm, it was only fair. She had told me her biggest secret. I thought for a moment, trying to decide what to tell her. Yes, that was it. I would tell her that. I smiled weakly at her "Pinky promise not to tell anyone?" I asked her in jest, holding up my pinky.

"Pinky promise," she laughed, shaking my pinky.

"I'm not happy," I said. She looked a little surprised.

"Why not?" she asked.

I looked at her. "I've had my whole life planned out for me by my father. Where to go, who to follow, what to do, who to talk to, what to say, what not to say. But, I don't want that life. I don't want to take the path he's chosen for me. I don't want to be a part of the things he has forced me to become a part of. I hate how I am. I'm mean to people I have nothing against, simply because my father has told me to do so. I torment people simply because my father tells me they deserve to be tormented. I'm respectful to people I hate; they don't deserve it. None of my friends really know me, they're more like acquaintances. I'm doing things I know are wrong because I'm too afraid to face the consequences of not doing them. I see the other path, it's in my reach, but it's too far away to grasp. I want to be able to travel the world, and have the friends that I want to have, and talk to who I want to talk to. I want to be able to make my own decisions without having to fear my father's wrath, or the safety of my mother. I want to be able to choose my own life, what I do and who I'm involved with. But, I can't."

"Why can't you," she asked. If only she knew.

I looked away. I was ashamed. "It's complicated. I just can't." I could see her fidgeting out of the corner of my eye. I was suddenly sorry for making her feel awkward. She scooted closer to me and put her head on my shoulders. I tensed up for a second before forcing myself to relax. I wasn't used to being that close to another person. I felt her body warmth through our clothes. I smiled to myself.

She finally spoke. "It'll be okay. I don't know how, but it will. You have control over your life, Draco. The right path may not be the easy one, but it's still the right one, and you are the only one who gets to decide what path you take. You decide which path is right for you. It's your life. Don't let somebody else decide how to live it. It's yours; you decide. Forget everyone else and make the decision that's right for you. And you don't have to face this alone; I'll be right by your side the whole time. Remember that."

Why was she being so nice to me? She had no reason to. It didn't make any sense. She had every reason to hate me, every reason to treat me like badly. But, here she was, leaning her head on my shoulder, consoling me, and promising to stick by me. "Why?" I asked her.

She looked confused. "Why what?"

"Why will you be right by my side? We just met; you barely know me. You have no reason to care about me and every reason to hate me. It makes no sense."

"Because that's what friends do. I don't know how your other, uh, 'friends' are, but as long as you're my friend, you'll never face anything alone. I'll always be right there beside you to face it with you." She smiled at me.

I didn't deserve this. I deserved so many worse things, but I didn't deserve anything this good. But I still wasn't going to give it up. I liked it too much; I liked her too much. Was this what friendship was? Was I good enough to be her friend? I had to be. I would do whatever it took to be a good friend to her. I needed it. I needed her, and she needed me.

"Thank you," I said after a pause.

"For what?" she asked.

"Just, thank you. You have no idea what this means to me. I've never had this before, you know," I admitted.

"Had what before?"

Of course I had to say it out loud. "A real friend."

"I'm sorry," she said. She looked sad.

"Don't be," I told her. She had no reason to be sorry. "Just, thank you. And, try to be patient with me. I've never done this before. I've always just had people hang around me out of obligation. I'm not used to having people who actually want to hang around me. It feels strange, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. Just stick through it with me while I get good at it?"

"Of course. What did I just say? As long as you have me as a friend, you'll never have to face anything alone," she reassured me with a smile. I smiled back. I had made the right choice in talking to her. A few minutes passed in silence.

Dahlia lifted her head; I followed her gaze. Her friends were walking towards us. All but the one she had been with earlier had their mouths hanging open. It was starting to get annoying now. Really? We weren't a circus act. We were just two people sitting by a lake.

"Hey there Dahlia and Dahlia's _friend_," the one who had seen us earlier said. Dahlia must have told her about our conversation. I wondered if that was a good thing.

"Uh, hey, what's up?" Dahlia asked.

"We're on our way to Care of Magical Creatures. Aren't you coming?" Was it really time for class already?

"Oh," Dahlia said. "Oh, yeah." She looked at me. "You coming?" she asked. There could have been hope in her eyes, but that could have just been my imagination.

I smiled at her. "Yeah, of course." We both stood up and walked with her friends to join the class. Her friends were still staring at us. Didn't they have any manners? I looked down at the ground, trying to avoid looking at their faces. It only fueled my frustration. I wanted to tell them to knock it off, but I didn't want to insult Dahlia by snapping at her friends. I glanced up at her. She was smiling at me. I smiled back. That made me feel a bit better.

Until we got to class. Every single person there was staring at us, their mouths hanging open. You would think all their jaws were broken. If they didn't stop gawking soon, they would be.

Dahlia stepped toward me. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Why is everyone staring at us?" I replied, perhaps a bit too loudly. "We're not a show for their amusement. If they don't stop, I'm going to go over there and hex them. It's bloody ridiculous. Honestly, is it really that surprising? And even if it is, they're human beings. They should know enough to mind their manners. It's rude to stare at us the way they are, and I won't accept it."

"Draco, you can't be too mad at them. It is rather surprising to see us together. I still barely believe it myself. Don't do anything to them, it's not worth it. They'll just have to get used to seeing us together, that's all. It's okay," she said softly. We had only been friends for one day and she already knew how to make me feel better.

I smiled at her. "Okay, if you say so. But I'm doing this for you. And they had better get used to it. I don't want to be continuously gawked at forever."

She laughed. "Okay, fair enough. Thank you." After class, Dahlia told her friends she would meet up with them later. We walked around the castle, talking about whatever came to mind. She commented on the pictures on the wall; I talked about Quidditch. After a while, we walked up the stairs toward her common room.

"I had fun today," she told me once we were outside her common room.

"Yeah, me too," I agreed. It was the truth.

She smiled at me. "I'm glad. So, uh, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," I replied. She started to turn away. I didn't want her to leave yet. I did it without thinking. I reached out and pulled her into my arms. She rubbed her face into my chest. I ran my nose along the top of her head. Her hair smelled like flowers after a spring rain. I could, again, feel the warmth of her body through our clothes. I tightened my grip a bit, and leaned down to her ear. "Good night, Dahlia," I whispered.

She looked up at me with a huge smile on her face. "Good night, Draco," she said before turning and entering her common room. I watched her until she was out of sight before turning and retreating back down the stairs to the dungeon.


	11. Chapter 11

Dahlia's POV:

Scarlett was asleep on the couch in the common room when I entered. I expected she had fallen asleep on the couch while trying to wait up and interrogate me on what had happened. I walked up to the dorms, grabbed her blanket, walked back down to the common room, and covered her up. I walked back up to the dorms and fell into my bed. It had been a long day.

I woke up the next morning well rested. I had not had nightmares. On the contrary, my night had been filled with great dreams. I had revisited the lake with Draco. We just sat there, with my head on his shoulder. I could smell his scent on the soft breeze.

I smiled to myself, and rolled over, for once not wanting to get out of bed.

"Get up! I can't believe you didn't wake me up last night," Scarlett pulled my blanket off of me. I groaned. I didn't like this role reversal. Maybe I would be easier on Scarlett the next time I was waking her up. "No whining, come on. We're going to be late, and you still have to fill me in on all the details of yesterday."

I groaned again as I dragged myself out of bed. "Fine, gossip junkie, I'm up." I walked into the bathroom and took a quick shower. It woke me up and gave me some time away from Scarlett. I got out, got dressed, brushed and blowdried my hair, and walked back out into the dorm. Scarlett grabbed my arm and led me out of the dorm, through the common room, and out into the castle.

"Now, you tell me what happened yesterday," she demanded as soon as we were no longer around anybody we knew.

"What? What do you want to know? We hung out," I knew my vague reply would annoy her. I was used to her demands for information. It was just fun to mess with her sometimes.

"What did you guys do? What did you talk about? Was he nice? Did you have fun"

"Okay, one question at a time," I scolded her. "At lunch, we just sat down by the lake and talked about ourselves. After class, we just walked around the castle and talked. Yes, actually, he was very nice. I enjoyed spending time with him quite a bit," I admitted.

She smirked. "Uh-huh. And, uh, when we were walking down to the lake to meet you before class, I just happened to notice you were resting your head on his shoulder. What was that all about? Did you enjoy _that_ quite a bit?"

I blushed. I couldn't deny it. I _had _enjoyed it quite a bit. I was a good liar to strangers, but anybody who knew me could easily pick up on my body language. Scarlett was no exception.

"Oh my God, you totally did!" she practically squealed. I rolled my eyes.

"Come on," I changed the subject, "we're going to be late for class." I began walking away.

"Oh, no. No, no, no. No avoiding the subject at hand! You totally like him," she accused, chasing after me.

"Oh, come on, Scarlett. We've only spent one day together," I said over my shoulder, refusing to stop. We needed to get to charms, and I refused to be late on account of her need to gossip.

She ignored my logic. "Wait, why do you want to get to class so badly? Is it maybe because you want to see your lover?" she teased me.

I sighed. I wasn't going to feed into her obsession. Besides, we were almost to class, and I refused to risk Draco possibly hearing our conversation. He was already there when we entered the classroom. He looked up at me and smiled when I walked in. I walked over and sat down next to him; Scarlett sat on my other side. I suddenly realized he may not want me sitting next to him. I looked up at him, trying to hide my embarrassment and seem confident.

"You don't mind if we sit here, do you?" I asked.

"No, of course not," his smile grew wider.

"Good," I smiled back at him. "Um, Draco, I don't know if you've met my friend-"

"I'm Scarlett," she interrupted, leaning around me to make eye contact with Draco. "I've heard all about you, believe me," she smirked at me. I felt the rush of hot color rise in my cheeks. Of course Scarlett said that. It had been her idea to talk about them in the first place! If I wasn't mistaken, I'd say she was the one with the crush on him.

"Well, uh, I think that's a good thing," he replied. I looked up at him. His cheeks were red, as well. At least I wasn't the only embarrassed one.

Scarlett laughed. "Jeez, you two, why so red in the face?" Oh, I could punch her. Scarlett is that person you love to hate. She's a great friend, but, sometimes, you really just want to punch her or hex her or at least cast a spell that messes up her appearance.

I looked up at Draco at the same time he looked at me. Our eyes met; my cheeks grew a deeper shade of red. We both laughed nervously, and looked away.

This was all Scarlett's fault. Stupid Scarlett. Everything was okay before she opened her big mouth. I scowled at her. She stuck her tongue out at me.

Class went by slowly. Flitwick drawled on at the front of the classroom. Every now and then I glanced over at Draco. Sometimes he was staring at Flitwick, sometimes he was staring off into space. One time our eyes met. He held my gaze, and smiled at me. I smiled back at him, but I felt the blush rising and I turned away to hide it.

A week passed. Draco and I met up every day. We talked about nothing, and everything. We talked about our goals, our likes, our dreams, our fears. We talked about our days, what we had done, what we had noticed, what we still had to do. We talked about people, the smart ones and the stupid ones, the cool ones and the annoying ones. We talked about whatever came up. I began to feel more comfortable around him.

Exactly a week had passed since I had first sat next to Draco in Charms. And here I was, sitting in the exact same seat in the exact same classroom next to the exact same boy. We had sat next to each other every class we had together since that first time I sat next to him. The other Slytherins noticed. They glared at me, but Draco didn't seem to care. He still sat next to me every day, faithful as ever. I smiled to myself as I realized how close we had become.

At the end of class, Draco looked over at me. "Hey, do you want to hang out tonight, after classes? I know of this place where none of the prefects check, so there's no chance of getting caught if we stay out after hours." He was smiling. Even I could see the hope in his face.

I smiled. Of course I wanted to see him tonight. We had no more classes together for the rest of the day, and I didn't want to go that long without seeing him. "I would love to see you after classes, Draco," My smile grew. "Where and when do you want to meet?"

His smile grew, too. "The Entrance Hall? 6:00?"

"Sounds perfect to me," I told him. "I'll see you then," I added as we took our opposite paths to our separate classes. I looked back over my shoulder to watch him walk away. I immediately regretted not hugging him before he left. I promised to make up for it later.

Classes dragged on worse than they ever had before. I couldn't focus on the lessons; all I was thinking about was the time I would be spending with Draco that night. Had I really become so obsessed so quickly? It seemed irrational, but I couldn't deny it. Irrational as it may be, it was definitely real. I liked spending time with him. I liked being near him. I liked his voice. I liked hearing him talk. I liked the things he said. I liked the way he smelled. I liked the color of his eyes, and how they sparkled in the sun. I liked knowing him like nobody else did. I liked the feeling of his arms around me. I liked him.

There was no escaping it. There was no denying it. I liked Draco Malfoy. The feeling had erupted inside of me like a volcano and now lava was filling up my entire body.

Yes, it was that bad.

After classes finally ended, I bounded up the stairs, all seven flights of them, to the common room and into my dormitory. I quickly washed my face, brushed my hair and changed. If I could no longer deny my feelings for him, there was no point trying to deny my desire to look good for him.

Scarlett caught me before I could sneak out of the common room. She noticed the change.

"You're going to meet Malfoy, aren't you?" she asked, triumph taking over her features. I knew I couldn't lie to her anymore.

"Yes," I admitted. I fidgeted with my hands in impatience. I wanted to leave to go meet him.

"Oh, I knew it! You so like him! Just admit it to me! You totally dressed up for him!"

I decided to indulge her. "Fine, Scarlett, yes. I like him. Now, can I go and meet him? I don't want to be late." I pleaded.

"Okay, go," she agreed. I began running before the words were completely out of her mouth. "But you owe me all the details in the morning!" she shouted after me.

I ran down the first five flights of stairs, but slowed down and walked the last two. I didn't want it to be obvious that I had run there. When I began walking down the last flight of stairs, I looked down to see Draco already waiting for me. A huge smile erupted on my face. I couldn't help it.

He looked up at me and smiled a smile that was as big as my own. "Hey, you changed?" he questioned.

"Oh, yeah. I, uh, spilled some pumpkin juice on myself earlier," I lied, too scared to admit that I had changed for him.

"Oh. You look nice," he complimented, then looked away, embarrassed.

"Thanks," I looked away, just as embarrassed, but completely giddy.

"You ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied. He motioned for me to follow him. We walked up two flights of stairs, and then turned down a hallway. Draco moved a tapestry aside to reveal a secret passageway, and began leading me down it. We walked until we found an even smaller passageway that led off to our left; we took it. Finally, Draco stopped in front of a door and opened it for me. The room was nothing special, really. Just an old room. There were a few old desks stacked in the corner, but other than that it was empty.

"Here," Draco said as he pulled his bag off and opened it, revealing a blanket, candles, and some food. He laid the blanket out on the floor and lie the candles, then motioned for me to sit down. "The floor can get pretty cold sometimes," he explained, "and I thought we might get hungry, so I brought us some food."

"That was very thoughtful of you, Draco, thank you," I smiled at him. He smiled back at me, obviously pleased. He sat down right next to me, close enough that our arms brushed against each other when we moved them. It was silent for a few moments.

"I'm really glad you agreed to meet with me tonight," Draco admitted.

"So am I," I agreed. "I really like spending time with you." I felt the blush rising in my cheeks again. I had blushed more in the past two weeks than in the rest of my entire life.

He smiled widely. "I really like spending time with you, too," he looked at me. Suddenly, I felt his hand on mine. I looked down, surprised, and realized he had grabbed my hand. The blush in my cheeks deepened. I looked up at him. His cheeks were a pink tint. He looked nervous, as if waiting to see how I would react. He refused to make eye contact with me.

I felt a sudden burst of courage. I laced our fingers together, and looked directly at him, a huge smile on my face. He snapped his head quickly in my direction, a quizzical expression on his face. When he saw my smile, though, his expression quickly changed to one of happiness. He squeezed my hand and began rubbing it with his thumb.

I couldn't help it. I loved the feeling of his skin on mine. I had felt it, before, when we pinky promised, but that was nothing compared to this. His hand was soft, but strong. The small circles he made with his thumb were unbelievably soothing.

Should I tell him? No, I couldn't. He couldn't possibly feel the same way about me as I did about him. But, he had grabbed my hand. So, maybe, just maybe, he did? Or, it could have just been a friendly gesture. I didn't want to lose him as a friend. But the possibility of something more was taunting me. His hand in mine was driving me insane. I had to say something. I had to tell him. I had to try.

I looked at him just as he looked at me. We both opened our mouths at the same time. "I like you," we said in unison.

My jaw dropped. My entire face was now red, the lava inside me spreading. Had he really just said what I thought he said? Had I heard correctly? Was I imagining it?

He looked quickly away, embarrassed. I couldn't stand the silence any longer. I had to say something. I had to know.

"Did-did you just say what I think you said?" I asked shyly.

"Uh, yeah," he answered, forcing himself to meet my gaze, but obviously finding it very difficult. "I did."

"You like me? Well," I thought for a second, "what do you mean by that?"

"What do _you _mean by it?" he asked, obviously hesitant to admit anything before he knew the feelings were mutual. I hesitated, then sighed. Maybe we meant completely different things. Maybe he only wanted to be friends. Maybe I was ruining things. Either way, I had to answer. I had gotten myself into this situation, I had to get myself out.

He spoke before I had the chance. "I like you," he reiterated. "I like you, a lot. Since I first saw you, that day on the train, I couldn't stop thinking about you. Even when I supposedly hated you, you were always on my thoughts. Then, after that night I found you, I began to actually care about you. These couple weeks have only solidified everything I've been feeling. I like you, Dahlia. When I'm with you, I can be me. I don't have to worry about living up to anybody's expectations because you just expect me to be me. I feel safe when I'm with you, like no matter what happens, even if things go horribly wrong, it will be okay, simply because you'll be there and I know you won't abandon me. Everything else in my life is shit, but you are the one good thing I have to look forward to. Seeing you every day just makes it all seem worth it. I wake up every day excited, just because I get to see you. You are the best thing in my life, and I like you. A lot. You're my best friend, but," he hesitated," I-I like you as more than a best friend," he looked away from me, embarrassed.

I didn't know what to say. This was everything I wanted to hear. Everything I wanted to say to him, he had just said to me. I couldn't contain myself. I tackled him, wrapping my arms around his stomach and holding him as tightly as I could. He looked down at me, momentarily bewildered, then he wrapped his arms around me and held me back.

"Does this mean the feeling is mutual?" he asked after a few moments. I could tell he was trying to make a joke, but it was also obvious that he really wanted an answer.

"Oh, you have no idea," I exclaimed, pulling away from him and looking into my eyes. "Everything you just said to me is everything I've been wanting to say to you. I dream about you, and then I wake up excited to see you. You are the only thing that has made me feel safe in over three months. I think about you all the time. I'm always just counting down the time until I can see you again. I have come into the habit of basing how good or bad my day is on how much time I get to spend with you. I've been so scared to tell you, but, yes, Draco Malfoy. The feeling is mutual," I concluded, looking him in the eye with the biggest smile I could manage plastered on my face.

His smile grew wider, and his eyes sparkled. He pulled me back into his chest and held me tightly. "Oh, Dahlia, I'm so happy to hear you say that. You are the only good thing in my life."

"You are the best thing in my life," I told him. He held me in his arms for a long while. We were silent, just looking at each other with our huge smiles. He ran his fingers through my hair the way he had the first night he found me. It was just as soothing now as it had been then.

After a while, we ate and talked some more. I complimented him on the food; it was delicious. After about an hour, he packed everything up and we snuck back up to the seventh floor, careful to avoid all the prefects. Once we were outside of my common room, I turned and pulled him into a tight hug. I pulled away from him and began to walk away.

"Dahlia," Draco called after me. I turned to face him. He had a look of indecision on his face. "I was wondering," he took a deep breath, and resolve conquered his expression. He began again, "I've always been a rather traditional man, so I want to do this the right way. Dahlia Aurentius, will you do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?"

I laughed at the formality of it all. "Yes, Draco Malfoy. I would love to," I smiled at him. He returned it and pulled me in for another hug.

"Good night, my beautiful Dahlia," he whispered.

"Good night, my handsome Draco," I replied before retreating to my common room, glancing over my shoulder as I did to get one last look at him before the portrait swung shut and blocked him from view.

That night, I dreamt of nothing but Draco Malfoy.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I just wanted to say I am sooooo sorry. I have been super busy with finals and personal issues, so I know it's been a long time since I have updated and I just wanted to apologize for that. But, today was my last day of finals, so I should be writing more often during Winter Break :] Also, I've been thinking about two other Draco/OC fanfics that I want to write, but I wanted your guys' opinion. Do you guys think I should stay focused on this fanfic and then write the other ones one at a time? Or do you think I should start the other two and write all three of them simultaneously? Just let me know :] Okay, on to the story

Draco's POV:

I got up early the next morning. I wanted to make it to Charms as soon as possible so I could see Dahlia. I was the first person in the classroom. I sat down and waited. People filed in slowly, but no Dahlia. Class was going to begin soon. Still no Dahlia. I began to worry a bit. Was she sick? Was she hurt? Was she avoiding me? No, she couldn't be avoiding me, I had done nothing to make her want to avoid me.

Finally, only a few minutes before class began, Dahlia and her friend walked in. I looked up at her and couldn't help but to smile. She smiled back, and, to my surprise, she walked over and sat down next to me. I smiled to myself, but then she suddenly looked up at me with a somewhat worried expression on her face.

"You don't mind if we sit here, do you?" She asked me.

"No, of course not," my smile increased.

"Good," she smiled at me. "Um, Draco, I don't know if you've met my friend-" she began.

"I'm Scarlett," her friend interrupted her. "I've heard all about you, believe me," she smirked at Dahlia. Dahlia's cheeks turned a deep red. What was that supposed to mean? Was Dahlia talking about me?

"Well, uh, I think that's a good thing," I answered. I could feel that my own cheeks were hot.

The Scarlett girl laughed. "Jeez, you two, why so red in the face?" she asked. Was she insinuating what I thought she was? Did I really make it that obvious? And what about Dahlia? What was she saying about her?

I looked up at Dahlia. Our eyes met. She blushed harder. We both let out a nervous chuckle then quickly looked away. Why was this so awkward? Girls were usually swooning over me. Why was I so embarrassed about Dahlia? Why didn't I want her to know how I felt? Why did I care about how she felt? I could have practically any girl I wanted. But, no, Dahlia was different. I wanted her.

Class dragged on. I glanced over at Dahlia every now and then, but I made sure never to catch her gaze. I failed one time. Our eyes met, and I smiled at her. She smiled back, but began blushing, and quickly looked away. I smiled to myself. She was cute when she was blushing, and I was very satisfied with the fact that I could make her blush.

Over the next week, my friendship with Dahlia deepened. We spent almost all of our time together. We met up at least once a day for some one-on-one time. We talked about everything, and I couldn't deny that seeing her had become the best part of my day. I found myself waking up excited just because I knew I was going to see Dahlia. We sat next to each other in every class we had together. No matter how much time I spent with her, I still wanted more. The other Slytherins began to notice and send dirty looks our way, but I knew they all feared me and my name, or, more accurately, my father, to do anything about it. So, I carried on with our friendship. To be honest, I would have carried on with it even if the other Slytherins were doing something about it. Dahlia meant more to me than all of them combined.

We were in Charms, exactly a week after she had sat next to me that first time. I loved being close to her, but I wanted more time with her. After class was over, I turned to her and spoke, "hey, do you want to hang out tonight, after classes? I know of this place where none of the prefects check, so there's no chance of getting caught if we stay out after hours."

I smiled at her and she smiled back, like always. I had grown to truly love her smile. It made her face shine; her eyes lit up when she smiled. "I would love to see you after class, Draco. Where and when do you want to meet?" She replied.

"The Entrance Hall? 6:00?" I asked. We were walking out of the classroom now.

"Sounds perfect to me," she said, "I'll see you then," she called over her shoulder as we separated in the hallway. I smiled all the way to my next class. My smile was so big my cheeks were actually beginning to hurt. I got many stares when I walked in. It was as if people thought I was incapable of smiling. I didn't care enough to make a sarcastic remark or even to send them glares. I was far too excited about spending time with Dahlia. So, I just ignored them, the smile plastered on my face the whole time.

Classes dragged on, but I made it through, barely. When they were over, I went to the common room to get the blanket, candles, and food I had set aside for Dahlia and I to share that night. I hoped she would like what I had planned. I then stopped in the lavatory and looked in the mirror. I fixed my hair, rolled up my sleeves, and unbuttoned the top button of my shirt. I had to admit it, I looked good. I then proceeded to the Entrance Hall to wait for Dahlia. I could feel the excitement and anticipation build up inside me as I waited. I heard footsteps and looked up. It was Dahlia. She smiled down at me, and I couldn't help but to smile back.

"Hey," I greeted her, then I noticed her change of wardrobe. "You changed?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah. I, uh, spilled some pumpkin juice on myself earlier," she answered. She was lying, I knew it. I had spent enough time with her in the past week to be able to pick up in her mannerisms. But why would she lie? The thought that she had dressed up for me entered my mind briefly, but I quickly dismissed it, believing it to be my own hopes getting the best of me. I decided I would let her get away with the lie this time.

"Oh. You look nice," I complimented, truthfully. I couldn't help but look away. She really did look good. Her shirt hugged her curves in all the right places, and her pants fit her perfectly and made her legs look amazing. I felt the blush rise to my cheeks at the realization of my thoughts.

"Thanks," she replied. I could tell she was embarrassed, too.

"You ready to go?" I asked, trying to remedy the awkwardness.

"Yeah," she said. We walked up to the second floor. I found the tapestry I was looking for and pulled it aside, revealing a passageway. I had been down here many times. Not many people knew about it, so it was usually deserted. I went there when I wanted to be alone. When we reached the door, I opened it for her to reveal the plain, empty room. I suddenly wished I had chosen somewhere better to take her. The room seemed too dull and ugly for her. She was too beautiful for its plainness.

We both walked in and I shut the door behind us. "Here," I said. I opened my bag and pulled out the blanket, candles, and food I had brought along with me. I put the blanket on the floor and, with a flick of my wand, lit the candles. "The floor can get pretty cold sometimes," I told her. "And I thought we might get hungry, so I brought us some food."

That was very thoughtful of you, Draco, thank you," she smiled at me. I could tell that she really did like it. I smiled back at her, relived that she liked it. I sat down as close to Dahlia as I could without feeling like I might make her uncomfortable. It still felt too far away. Every now and then, though, our arms would lightly brush together, and I felt my heart jump every time I felt her skin touch mine.

"I'm really glad you agreed to meet with me tonight," the words were out of my mouth almost before I had time to process what I was saying.

"So am I. I really like spending time with you," she smiled at me. My nervousness was replaced with happiness. She blushed, and I felt my heartbeat speed up.

"I really like spending time with you, too," I told her, honestly. I couldn't help it anymore, I knew I had to touch her. I had to feel her skin on mine. I fought against my nerves. I reached my hand out and placed it on hers. I couldn't look at her, so I just waited for her reaction. Then, she laced our fingers together. I looked up at her, the confusion obvious on my face. She was smiling hugely at me. I was reassured by it. I squeezed her hand and began rubbing it with my thumb.

Her skin was so soft, her hands so delicate. I traced circles with my thumb, relishing every moment of being able to be with her, being able to touch her. I needed more of her. I needed to make her mine. Of course, I enjoyed every second I was able to spend with her, but I still was never satisfied. Every time I had to say goodbye to her was torture. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. The candle light danced on her pale skin and caught her blue eyes, making them shine brilliantly. I couldn't help but notice how absolutely beautiful she was. Her nose was small and feminine and sat perfectly in the middle of her face. Her lips were full and a light shade of pink, reminiscent of cherry blossoms. Her high cheekbones gave her a stunning, regal appearance. I marveled at her beauty and how lucky I was to be here, holding her hand. I knew I had to tell her. I couldn't keep it in any longer. I fought my nerves down and summoned all the courage I had.

I looked up at her just as she looked at me. "I like you," we both said in unison. Her jaw dropped. I could feel my face redden. My courage abandoned me, replaced by embarrassment. I quickly looked away, unable to look at her.

After a few moments, she spoke. "Did-did you just say what I think you said?" she asked. Her voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper.

"Uh, yeah," I replied. I summoned what little courage I had left and looked up at her. "I did."

"You like me? Well, what do you mean by that?" she asked.

"What do you mean by it?" I quickly responded. If she admitted she liked me as more than friends, I had nothing to fear in telling her I reciprocated. If she told me she only wanted to be friends, I could lie and pretend that was what I meant all along. But, the silence dragged on. She fidgeted with her hands, obviously trying to figure out what to say. No, I was being a coward. I had to admit my feelings, whether she reciprocated or not.

"I like you," I finally said. "I like you, a lot. Since I first saw you, that day on the train, I couldn't stop thinking about you. Even when I supposedly hated you, you were always on my thoughts. Then, after that night I found you, I began to actually care about you. These couple weeks have only solidified everything I've been feeling. I like you, Dahlia. When I'm with you, I can be me. I don't have to worry about living up to anybody's expectations because you just expect me to be me. I feel safe when I'm with you, like no matter what happens, even if things go horribly wrong, it will be okay, simply because you'll be there and I know you won't abandon me. Everything else in my life is shit, but you are the one good thing I have to look forward to. Seeing you every day just makes it all seem worth it. I wake up every day excited, just because I get to see you. You are the best thing in my life, and I like you. A lot. You're my best friend, but," I took a deep breath, then continued," I-I like you as more than a best friend," I looked away. I couldn't look at her now, not after revealing everything I just had.

It was silent for a few moments. They seemed to drag on for a lifetime. All of a sudden, I felt her body slam against mine. She wrapped her arms tightly around my stomach. I was shocked for a moment, then wrapped my arms around her, exceedingly glad to have her this close to me.

"Does this mean the feeling is mutual?" I asked, attempting to clarify the situation in a humorous manner.

"Oh, you have no idea," She said, pulling away and looking me directly in the eyes. I could see the sincere glee in them. "Everything you just said to me is everything I've been wanting to say to you. I dream about you, and then I wake up excited to see you. You are the only thing that has made me feel safe in over three months. I think about you all the time. I'm always just counting down the time until I can see you again. I have come into the habit of basing how good or bad my day is on how much time I get to spend with you. I've been so scared to tell you, but, yes, Draco Malfoy. The feeling is mutual," she finished, smiling the biggest smile I had ever seen on her face.

I couldn't hide my joy. I pulled her back into my chest, desperate to have her in my arms again. "Oh, Dahlia, I'm so happy to hear you say that. You are the only good thing in my life."

"You are the best thing in my life," she told me. I held her for a while longer. We didn't speak, we just sat, silent, reveling in the joy we both shared. I ran my fingers through her hair, admiring how soft it felt.

Eventually we talked and ate the food, enjoying each other's company. After we were done, I packed up everything I had brought, and we snuck up to the Gryffindor common room. She pulled me into a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around her. She felt so small in my arms. She released me and began to walk away; I knew I had to ask her before she left.

"Dahlia," I called out to her. She turned around. I suddenly doubted myself. "I was wondering," I began, but faltered. Should I ask? Yes, I had to. I continued, "I've always been a rather traditional man, so I want to do this the right way. Dahlia Aurentius, will you do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?"

She laughed lightly. "Yes, Draco Malfoy. I would love to," she smiled at me and I smiled right back at her. I pulled her back into me, determined to feel her skin on mine one more time before I went to bed.

"Good night, my beautiful Dahlia," I whispered into her ear.

"Good night, my handsome Draco," she said. I released her and watched her walk into the common room, glancing at me at the last second before the portrait closed behind her. I couldn't hide my happiness as I practically skipped my way back down to the dungeons and into the Slytherin common room.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: See? I told you I'd start writing more :P Just wanted to say that I hadn't originally planned for it to go this way, but it seems like I keep alternating between perspectives by chapter. I do one in Dahlia's POV, then one in Draco's. So, it probably won't stay that way for the rest of the story, but just a hint: the next chapter will be from Draco's perspective :P Also, reviews are appreciated :] and if you have a tumblr, you should totally follow me. Muffylykessexxxx, . Just saying, I follow back xD Okay, I'm done ranting now. You may commence your reading.

Dahlia's POV:

When I woke up the next morning, I still had a smile on my face. I felt the warmth of the sunlight on my eyelids and opened them to see Scarlett leaning over me, a knowing smirk plastered on her face.

"Details," she demanded. I looked around. Everyone else was still asleep. I looked at the clock. It was 5:14. I was shocked that Scarlett was even up this early. I chuckled and sat up in bed.

"Hmmmm, what do you want to know?" I teased her, knowing that she must really want to know if she had gotten up this early to interrogate me.

The irritation showed on her face. "Everything! Tell me exactly what happened."

I laughed, then looked around to make sure everyone else was still asleep. When I was sure nobody else was listening, I spoke, "Well, we met in the Great Hall. He took me to this room down a secret passage and he had a blanket that he put on the floor for us to sit on and then he pulled out candles and food and it was so sweet," I couldn't help gushing, just a little, "then, we sat there and talked for a while, and then…" I paused for a bit longer than I really needed to, just to mess with Scarlett.

"And then what?!" She demanded. She looked like a child hearing her favorite story.

"And then we both admitted we liked each other," I said, possibly a little too loudly.

"No way!" Scarlett replied, definitely too loudly. I shushed her and looked around to make sure she hadn't woken anyone. Some people stirred a bit, but everyone was still asleep.

"Yes way," I said, a smile quickly forming on my face.

"And then what happened?" she asked, looking up at me with expectant eyes.

"Well, we ate and talked some more, and then he walked me back to the common room. I was about to come in and go to bed, but he called me back and told me he wanted to do things properly, and then he asked me out," I blurted the last bit.

Scarlett's mouth dropped a bit. "What did you say?" she asked immediately.

"I said yes, of course!" I stated the obvious.

"Oh my god, no way! I cannot believe you are dating Draco Malfoy."

"Yeah," I agreed, "I was pretty surprised when he said he liked me, too," I admitted.

"I wasn't," Scarlett stated, bluntly.

I gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, honey, come on. Have you seen the way he acts around you? The only time I have ever seen that boy smile is when he's with you. He blushes, like, nonstop whenever you talk to him. And he's always staring at you when you're not looking. Trust me, everyone knew it but you," she informed me.

I thought about it, but decided there was no need to respond. Even if she was right, it was irrelevant now. I got out of bed and walked to the bathroom to take a shower. When I was done, I got out, got dressed, did my hair, and greeted Scarlett in the common room. We walked out of the portrait and began our descent down to the dungeons for potions.

We got there early; we were the first ones to class. We walked in and took our seats. After a while, people began to shuffle in. I suddenly felt my stomach tighten with nervousness. What was going to happen when Draco saw me? Had he changed his mind? Did he want people to know we were dating or did he want to keep it a secret? I began fidgeting with my thumbs to try and distract myself when I heard someone slide the chair next to me out and sit down. I looked up. Draco was staring at me, a huge grin on his face. His smile faltered, though, when he saw the worried look on my face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his look quickly turning from one of happiness to one of concern. I opened my mouth to respond, but Snape suddenly called for the attention of the class, cutting me off before I could speak. I turned away from Draco and toward the front of the room, but I could see him rummaging through his backpack out of the corner of my eye. Then, a note written on a piece of parchment appeared on the table in front of me. It was from Draco. I took note of how elegant his handwriting was.

_What's the matter, Dahlia? _It said. I pulled my own quill out of my bag and responded to him.

_I'm not sure, I'm just a little worried, I suppose. I'm just not sure how you want to react to last night._ I passed the note back to him. It quickly appeared back in front of me.

_What do you mean? _He asked

_ Well, I guess I just wasn't sure if you had changed your mind about being with me or not. And then, even if you haven't changed your mind, do you want people knowing that we're together or would you prefer if we kept it a secret?_ I passed the note back to him. It took him a little longer to respond this time, but he eventually passed the note back to me.

_Dahlia, why in the world would I change my mind about wanting to be with you? You are the best thing to ever happen to me, and my feelings for you haven't changed. Of course I still want to be with you. And, as I said when we first decided to become friends, people will just have to get used to seeing us together. I don't care who knows. I enjoy being with you, and if anybody has a problem with it, they will just have to get over it. We're together, now. And I don't care if the whole world knows it._

I looked up at him, and he was smiling reassuringly down at me. I smiled up at him, and he reached for my hand and laced our fingers together. I squeezed his hand in thanks.

We stayed like that for the rest of the lecture. I didn't even take notes; I was unwilling to let go of his hand. When class was over, I began to get nervous again. The entire class, our hands had been under the table. Nobody had seen. I knew Draco had said he didn't mind people knowing we were dating, but I wasn't sure if he wanted them seeing us holding hands.

My fear was quickly dissolved, though, as Draco stood, never letting go of my hand, and looked at me, waiting for me to stand and walk out of the classroom with him. People stared at us as we walked, some even had their mouths hanging open. I wondered why people were so surprised. I mean, it wasn't like it was a secret that we were friends or anything, and we hadn't been hiding all the time we had spent together. Maybe they just found it surprising that someone as plain and average as me was able to get someone as handsome as Draco Malfoy.

Draco walked me to the Transfiguration classroom. He pulled me into a tight hug before he left, promised he would meet me in the Entrance Hall after class for lunch, and then walked away toward his class.

The smile was still on my face when I entered the classroom and sat down next to Scarlett. She was smiling just as widely at me. Then, Finn walked in. I suddenly realized how long it had been since I had talked to him.

"Hey," I greeted him.

"What the hell was that?" He snapped at me. Scarlett gave her brother a surprised look.

"What the hell is your problem?" She asked him. He ignored her and kept glaring at me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"I saw you holding hands with Malfoy. What was that all about?" He sneered Draco's name.

"Oh," I commented, suddenly angry that he was angry. He had no right to be angry at me. "Draco and I are dating. We're together," I smiled smugly at him.

His anger seemed to increase. "Look, I was a little skeptical when you guys decided to be friends. The guy has a reputation, Dahlia, and for good reason. But now you guys are dating? That's unacceptable. I can't believe you, Dahlia, what is wrong with you? I mean-"

"Excuse me, Finn Brewer, but I believe it is none of your concern and you should mind your own damn business," I interrupted him. I couldn't believe he was saying this to me, what made him think he had the right to tell me what was right and wrong? I was a big girl, completely capable of making my own decisions, and he had no right to try and tell me what to do.

His jaw dropped slightly. I had never talked to Finn like that before. He had seen me talk to other people like that before, but I had never talked to him that way. I didn't feel the slightest bit of remorse. He got what he deserved. I glared at him unapologetically until McGonagall called our attention to the front of the classroom. I turned to listen to the lecture, glad to have a reason to end the conversation with Finn.

When class was over, I bolted for the door and down to the Entrance Hall. I wanted to avoid Finn, but, more than that, I wanted to get down to the Great Hall to see Draco. I made it there before him, for once. I waited patiently for him, until I saw him walking into the door, coming in from the greenhouses.

"Well, you're here early," he commented with a smile.

I smiled back at him, "I missed you and couldn't wait to see you," I said, not really joking at all. He grabbed my hand as we began walking toward the Great Hall.

"You ready for this?" He asked me before we entered.

I squeezed his hand. "Of course. Let them stare, if they want. No matter what they think, we have each other."

He squeezed my hand reassuringly, showing that he agreed with my statement, and we walked into the Great Hall, hand in hand.


	14. Chapter 14

Draco's POV:

I rolled over. I had a feeling I should be up by now. What time was it? I looked at the clock, then jumped out of bed. It was late, almost time for class. I vaguely remembered that I had been dreaming about Dahlia, and had slammed my snooze button when my alarm went off because I wasn't ready to end my dreams. Oh well, not I got the real thing.

I hurriedly got dressed, checked my appearance in the mirror to make sure I looked acceptable, then exited the common room. I realized how lucky I was that we had potions because the classroom was only a short distance away. I took a deep breath to calm the growing excitement that was building up in my chest, and entered the classroom. My deep breath was pointless; the second I was Dahlia a huge smile erupted on my face. I walked over and sat down next to her. She looked up at me with a worried expression. My smile instantly faded.

Why did she look like that? What was she worried about? What was bothering her? Had she changed her mind about me? Had somebody done something to her? Had I done something to her? Oh, I hoped not.

"What's wrong?" I asked, trying hard to keep the panic out of my voice. She opened her mouth, it looked like she was going to reply, but Snape began to speak. She closed her mouth and turned away from me to face the front of the class. The fear and worry began to build in the pit of my stomach. I had to know what was bothering her. I grabbed my bag and began searching for some parchment and my quill. Once I found some, I quickly scribbled down a note to her.

_What's the matter, Dahlia? _

She grabbed her own quill out of her bag and replied, then passed the parchment back to me. _I'm not sure, I'm just a little worried, I suppose. I'm just not sure how you want to react to last night._

_ What do you mean?_ I quickly scrawled back. What did she mean? How did she want me to react?

_ Well, I guess I just wasn't sure if you had changed your mind about being with me or not. And then, even if you haven't changed your mind, do you want people knowing that we're together or would you prefer if we kept it a secret?_ Oh, so that was it. I felt the nervousness die down a bit in my stomach. How could she think my feelings had changed? And why would I want to keep it a secret that I was with someone as beautiful and amazing as her?

I grabbed my quill and began a reply. _Dahlia, why in the world would I change my mind about wanting to be with you? You are the best thing to ever happen to me, and my feelings for you haven't changed. Of course I still want to be with you. And, as I said when we first decided to become friends, people will just have to get used to seeing us together. I don't care who knows. I enjoy being with you, and if anybody has a problem with it, they will just have to get over it. We're together, now. And I don't care if the whole world knows it._

I waited for her to finish reading it. When she did, she looked up at me and I smiled down at her to assure her I meant what I had said. She smiled back at me. I couldn't resist; I reached forward and grabbed her hand, lacing our fingers together. Her skin felt as soft as it had last night, and I could feel my heart rate increase a bit as her skin rubbed against mine.

Class dragged on. I never let go of her hand. Why would I? The feeling of her hand in mine made me feel safe, whole. The way she squeezed my hand every now and then to let me know she was still there was infinitely reassuring. When class was over, I gathered my things, and stood, waiting for her to follow. She seemed to hesitate, but soon stood with me and walked with me to the door.

In the back of my head, I probably recognized that people were staring at us, but I didn't care. I was too focused on how perfect Dahlia's hand felt on mine, her skin rubbing so slightly against my palm as we walked.

I walked slowly to try and extend the time I had with Dahlia before we had to part and go to our separate classes. When we arrived at her class, I pulled her into my arms.

"I'll see you at lunch, I promise. Meet me in the Entrance Hall," I whispered to her, trying to reassure both her and myself that we wouldn't be apart for that long. I released her and turned to walk down the stairs, preparing for the long trek to the greenhouses. Class was boring, as always. I didn't pay attention, like always.

When it was finally over, I practically ran up to the castle. To my surprise, Dahlia was already waiting for me in the Entrance Hall. "Well, you're here early," I noted, smiling at her.

"I missed you and couldn't wait to see you," she said. I couldn't tell if she was joking or not, but I hoped she was at least half serious. We began walking toward the Great Hall, and I grabbed her hand.

"You ready for this?" I asked her as we got close. I knew I was ready to face whatever the other students would throw at me. I didn't care, as long as Dahlia was with me. But, I wasn't sure if she was ready to face this, and I didn't want to force her to if she wasn't. I wanted everyone to know we were dating, but I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable.

She squeezed my hand and I felt instantly calm. "Of course. Let them stare, if they want. No matter what they think, we have each other," she assured me. I squeezed her hand, happy to hear that she felt the same way as me, and we walked in to the Great Hall.


	15. Chapter 15

Draco's POV:

It was just as I suspected. Every person in the Great Hall turned and looked at us as we walked in. I squeezed Dahlia's hand to try and reassure her. I knew nobody at the Slytherin table would welcome us, so we walked over to the Gryffindor table. I expected Dahlia to lead us over to her friends, but, to my surprise, we sat at the end of the table, away from everyone. I saw the girl from earlier, Scarlett, I believe her name was, get up and walk over to us. She sat down opposite us.

"Sorry about Finn. He's being ridiculous," she apologized to Dahlia. I looked at her, confused. What about Finn? What had he done? Upon seeing my confusion, Dahlia explained to me.

"My friend Finn saw us holding hands and confronted me. I told him we were together. He got mad and told me I was being stupid. I told him to mind his own business," she smiled a weak smile up at me. I felt guilt wash over me. I was already costing Dahlia friendships.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Don't be. I don't care what Finn thinks, or what anyone thinks, for that matter. He can mind his own damn business. I'm capable of making my own decisions, and I choose to be with you," she squeezed my hand. I smiled weakly at her.

"Yeah," her friend agreed. "Don't mind my brother. He's a jerk." At least one of her friends was okay with us being together.

We smiled at each other, then began to eat. The stares eventually died down, but every now and then it seemed like people kept turning to look at us. Whenever I caught someone staring, I glared at them. It seemed to make them stop.

After lunch was over, the three of us walked out into the grounds, headed for Care of Magical Creatures. The class seemed to fly by, but perhaps that was because I was too busy looking at Dahlia to pay any attention to what was actually being taught. Her hair was many different shades of blonde when the sun hit it. Some parts seemed to be darker, almost brown, even, and some parts were so light they were almost white. Her skin, while pale, had a pink undertone that could only be seen when the sun shined on it. I couldn't deny that she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. How had I not noticed her before? She had gone to Hogwarts the entire time I had. How could I be so blind as to never notice such an entirely gorgeous woman?

She glanced up at me, but I didn't look away. Our eyes met, and we held each other's stare. She smiled at me, and I smiled back. I felt myself leaning toward her, desperately wanting to be closer. I felt the sudden urge to kiss her, to press my lips to her. We were almost close enough now, when-

"Hey, you two, are you coming?" It was Scarlett. I silently damned her. That girl had to interrupt everything, didn't she? I looked at Dahlia's face. I could tell she was irritated, too.

"What?" she asked, clearly exasperated.

"Uh, class is over," she informed us. I looked around. People were walking away, there were only a few left. I was surprised, how had I not noticed?

"Yeah, we're coming," Dahlia told her. The three of us walked to the Entrance Hall together, but I pulled Dahlia aside when we entered the castle.

"Um, I was just wondering if you wanted to spend some time together again tonight?" I asked, hoping she would say yes.

"Of course, I always want to spend time with you," she smiled at me. "Um, I want to go change and stuff, though. Let's meet back here in an hour, maybe?"

"Sure," I agreed, silently glad that she wanted to wait. I hadn't showered that morning, and I wanted to before I met up with her. I pulled her into my chest, hugged her tightly, and then released her. "I'll see you in an hour," I said to her as she walked away. She smiled back at me, then walked up the stairs.

I walked down to the Slytherin common room, grabbed some clean clothes, and walked into the bathroom to take a shower. I got out, styled my hair, and put on my clothes. I, again, checked my appearance in the mirror. Once I was satisfied, I walked out of the common room, headed for the Entrance Hall, where I was planning on meeting Dahlia. She wasn't there yet, so I waited patiently. After about fifteen minutes of waiting, I saw her walking down the stairs. She looked amazing. She had on a crimson V-neck top the made her eyes appear even bluer and highlighted every perfect curve of her figure. Her hair was slightly wavy, falling in layers across her shoulders and back. Her cheeks had a slight blush to them.

When she got close to me, she held her arms up for a hug. I noticed how her shirt lifted up just enough to reveal a small bit of skin. I took advantage of this and wrapped my arms around her waist, running my hands along where her skin was exposed. She pulled away and smiled at me.

"What do you want to do?" she asked, looking up at me.

I paused for a second, considering the possibilities. I hadn't really thought about it. Then, the perfect idea came to mind.

"Come on," I told her as I grabbed her hand. I ran through the halls until I found it. I walked in front of the wall three times.

"What are you doing?" she asked me, a slight look of amusement on her face.

"Watch," I said as the large door appeared in front of us. Her mouth dropped open a little bit. I chuckled to myself and grabbed her hand, leading her into the Room of Requirement.


	16. Chapter 16

Dahlia's POV:

Every single head in the Great Hall turned to look at us as we walked in. Every. Single. One.

I chuckled to myself as I reflected on how much had already changed this year. It was less than three weeks in and, already, this year was completely different than every other year I had spent at Hogwarts. I used to avoid attention. I used to focus solely on school. Now, here I was, dating Draco Malfoy, every person in the school looking at me simultaneously. It was quite humorous, actually.

We avoided the Slytherin table. It wasn't a secret that they disapproved of mine and Draco's relationship. I almost walked over to my friends, but then I remembered Finn, and how he had behaved. I didn't want to sit with him; he didn't deserve it after the way he had talked to me. So, we sat at the edge of the Gryffindor table, the prying eyes of every Hogwarts student still glued to us.

I saw Scarlett get up and walk over to us. "Sorry about Finn. He's being ridiculous," she said to me as she sat down across from Draco and me. Draco looked up at me, questioning me with his stare. I sighed, then explained what Scarlett meant.

"My friend Finn saw us holding hands and confronted me. I told him we were together. He got mad and told me I was being stupid. I told him to mind his own business," I smiled at Draco to try and comfort him, but my anger at Finn was still very prevalent and I knew my smile wasn't as convincing as I meant for it to be.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He looked ashamed; what did he have to be ashamed about?

"Don't be. I don't care what Finn thinks, or what anyone thinks, for that matter. He can mind his own damn business. I'm capable of making my own decisions, and I choose to be with you," I squeezed his hand, trying to reassure him, hoping it would work better than my smile. He smiled weakly at me. I felt guilty for not being able to make him feel better.

"Yeah," Scarlett chimed in. "Don't mind my brother. He's a jerk." I looked over at Scarlett and smiled, showing my gratitude.

Draco smiled at me, and I returned the gesture. Then, we began to eat. I noticed how pristinely he held the fork. It was obvious he had been raised in an upper class family. Just the way he held himself screamed in at you; it was impossible to ignore. He sat straight up, his head held high, proud. His pale skin was offset by the slight pink of his lips and the piercing blue of his eyes. His blonde hair lay slightly tousled, a bit spilling into his face. I couldn't deny it; he was extremely handsome. Of course, I had always known this. It was impossible to ignore with every girl in Hogwarts chasing after him like a lost puppy. But, I had never been close enough to truly admire it. He was the epitome of handsome.

Every now and then, he would look around and glare at people who were staring at us. It made me laugh to myself. He just couldn't let them get away with it. Even with a glare on his face, he was still the most handsome man I had ever seen.

After class, we all walked down to Hagrid's Hut. Hagrid was just reviewing our previous lessons, so I allowed my mind to wander a bit. I stared at the forest; the branches swayed in the light breeze. The rustling of the leaves was like nature's way of making music. I listened to it, enjoying every second of this solitude. The wind had a slight bite to it; it was obvious winter was on its way.

I looked up at Draco and met his eyes. He held my gaze, and I found it impossible to look away. I smiled at him, lost in our gaze, and he smiled back. Everything else that was going on around us seemed to fade away. It was just us, me and Draco. He began to lean toward me. Was he going to kiss me? I felt my heart begin to race. I closed my eyes, waiting for it, when-

"Hey, you two, are you coming?" Scarlett interrupted my moment of bliss.

"What?" I couldn't hide the irritation in my voice.

"Uh, class is over," she said a little awkwardly, probably because she knew I was annoyed with her.

"Yeah, we 're coming," I told her, then the three of us began walking toward the castle. When we got to the Entrance Hall, Draco pulled me aside. I motioned for Scarlett to go on without me, and she walked up the stairs, leaving us alone.

"Um, I was just wondering if you wanted to spend some time together again tonight?" Draco asked me after Scarlett had left. I felt the irritation in me disappear, replaced by happiness.

"Of course, I always want to spend time with you. Um, I want to go change and stuff, though. Let's meet back here in an hour, maybe?" I asked. I wanted to go change into some flattering clothes and make sure I didn't look awful.

"Sure," he agreed. He pulled me into a tight hug, then released me. I began to walk up the stairs. "See you in an hour," he called after me. I turned around and smiled at him.

When I entered the common room, Scarlett looked up at me, an apologetic smile on her face.

"It's okay," I reassured her. "We're meeting in the Entrance Hall in an hour." She nodded her head, then gave me a real smile as I walked up the stairs to the dorm. I searched through my trunk, trying to find the perfect outfit. I finally settled on a V-neck and jeans. It was casual, but still made me look good. I changed, then brushed my hair again, since it had become tangled throughout the day. I went to my bed stand, and pulled out some blush, mascara, and lip gloss. I didn't really wear makeup all that much, but I figured it wouldn't hurt.

When I was done, I presented myself to Scarlett. She approved of my look, and sent me on my way. Finn was sitting in the corner of the common room, glaring at me. I held my head high as I walked past him, showing him that I didn't care at all for anything he had to say.

I walked down the stairs to meet Draco. He was already waiting by the time I got there. He was wearing a white button up shirt and a pair of jeans. I couldn't help but admire how good he looked no matter what he wore. When I reached him, I held my arms up, asking for a hug. He wrapped him arms around my hips, running his hands along a bit of exposed skin. Goosebumps erupted on my skin immediately, and I barely contained my shiver. His skin on my skin created the perfect sensation of calm.

I pulled away and smiled up at him. "What do you want to do?" I asked. He seemed to consider my question for a moment, then a small smile came to his face.

"Come on," he said as he grabbed my hand and led me through the halls. We stopped in a deserted hallway. He let go of my hand and walked over to the wall, passing in front of it three times.

"What are you doing?" I asked, amused puzzlement taking over my features.

"Watch," he told me, and directed my attention to the wall as a huge door appeared. I felt my mouth hanging open as the surprise washed over me. I wasn't sure why I was so surprised, I mean, honestly, I was going to a magic school. It shouldn't have been that surprising. I was just surprised that after five years attending the school, I still hadn't heard about this.

Draco chuckled at my expression, then grabbed my hand, leading me through the door.


	17. Chapter 17

Draco's POV:

When we entered the room, there was a large couch, and a projector setup perfect for watching movies. Over to the left, there was a fridge which I knew was full of all sorts of snacks. I smiled to myself. It was perfect. I looked over at her. She had a huge grin on her face.

"This is amazing," she said. She turned to face me. "Oh, thank you, Draco," she threw her arms around me in a hug. I gladly hugged her back, then picked her up and carried her over to the couch while she laughed.

"What movie do you want to watch?" I asked. She seemed to think for a bit, before getting up and walking over to the projector. She messed around with it, and came to sit back down just as the movie began playing. It was some old movie about zombies. I chuckled to myself that she would choose a movie like this, but settled in to watch it anyway.

I wasn't really looking at the movie, though. To be honest, I was too distracted by the girl next to me. I grabbed her hand, again. I was no longer nervous about her rejecting me. I looked at her, once again admiring her beauty. She rarely wore makeup, and her skin still looked flawless. I wondered if her face was as soft as her hands. I let go of her hand and lifted my hand to her face. I brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear, then rubbed her cheek with my thumb. She looked up at me.

I suddenly had the same feeling as earlier. I thought about when we were interrupted. There was nobody to interrupt now. I felt the familiar tugging sensation pulling me toward her. I leaned down; we were only inches apart now. My heart was pounding. Centimeters away, now. She closed her eyes. Our lips touched, lightly. It was almost as if it hadn't happened at all. I pulled away and looked at her to make sure I hadn't upset her. I needed to know if she accepted.

I gave her a look that expressed my questions and fears. She answered me by placing her hand behind my neck and pulling me toward her, touching our lips again. The kiss started out light, delicate, but soon became more intense. She put both of her hands around my neck, and I put my hands on her hips and pulled her onto my lap. She increased the pressure her lips made on mine; I licked her bottom lip. She opened her mouth to me and I let my tongue slip into her mouth. My heartbeat raced in my chest.

We broke apart, our breathing ragged. Dahlia looked at me and bit her bottom lip nervously. It only made me want her more. She seemed to embody innocence and sex appeal simultaneously. I fought the urge to kiss her again, not wanting to overwhelm her. In that instant, though, she surprised me by leaning forward and kissing me. This time, we wasted no time being gentle. The kiss started out rough, eager. This time, she licked my lip and I opened my mouth, letting her tongue in. I could feel her pressed against me; I could feel the body heat emanating off of her. Her hands were tangled in my hair.

I ran my hands along her sides until I found her hips. I caressed them softly, then lifted her off my lap and laid her on her back, lowering myself on top of her. Her hands removed themselves from my hair and found their way under my shirt. She ran her hands along my chest, then lowered them to my hips and pulled me down closer to her. I had one hand on the side of her head, holding myself up so I didn't put all my body weight on her. My other hand was under her back, pulling her up towards me, closing the gap between us.

I pulled away, gasping. I looked down at her to see that she was just as out of breath as I was. I was a little embarrassed that I had let myself go that far. She smiled up at me, though, and erased any fears I had. I leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. Her smile only widened. We stared into each other's eyes for a long while. The movie had long since ended.

Eventually, I lifted myself off her and grabbed her hand to help her stand. I held her hand as we walked back to the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. When we arrived, she turned to me and instantly pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around her, enjoying every moment of having her close to me, lamenting that we would soon have to say goodbye.

"I hope I didn't go too far," I whispered to her. I was beginning to feel guilty. I didn't want her to feel rushed or uncomfortable.

She looked up at me, "Oh, no, Draco. Not at all. I mean, it wasn't all you," she bit her lip again. My heart rate picked up. "I encouraged it just as much as you did. I-" she seemed embarrassed, "I wanted it just as much as you did," she looked into my eyes. I could see the lust in them. My heart began to race; my blood began to boil. I took a deep breath and told myself to calm down. We had plenty of time for that.

I smiled at her. "Okay. As long as you're sure. Good night, Dahlia," I pulled her into my chest again.

"I am, I promise. Good night, Draco. I'll see you tomorrow?" she looked up at me, eyes full of hope.

"Of course, Love. I'll miss you." I surprised even myself at this admission.

"I'll miss you, too," she smiled up at me before pulling away and walking into her dorm. I sighed, sad that we had to part, but completely ecstatic about the night we had shared. I walked down to my dorm, and fell into my bed, falling instantly into dreams of Dahlia.


	18. Chapter 18

Dahlia's POV:

When we entered the room, I saw there were couched and a projector set up. It was like a mini movie theater. I couldn't hide my happiness as I admired the room. "This is amazing," I said as I turned to Draco. "Oh, thank you, Draco," I hugged hum tightly. He hugged me back, then picked me up and carried me over to the couch. I couldn't help but giggle the entire way.

"What movie do you want to watch?" he asked when we were on the couch. I thought about it for a while, then, with a smirk on my face, walked over to the projector, pulled out my wand, and charmed it to play the movie I wanted. I looked over at Draco after I sat back down, gauging his reaction. He seemed amused at my choice, but didn't say anything. We sat in silence for a bit, watching the movie. Then, I felt his skin on mine as he brushed some of my hair behind my ear, allowing his thumb to linger on my cheek. I looked up at him.

He had a look in his eyes that I couldn't quite identify. Then, he started leaning toward me, just as he had earlier that day. But, there was no Scarlett this time. He inched his way toward me, slowly. I could feel the anticipation building. I closed my eyes and held my breath. I felt his lips brush against mine, so very lightly. Then, he pulled away. I opened my eyes to look at him, confused as to why he had stop. His face told me why, every inch of it covered in quizzical worry.

I had to reassure him that what he had done was right. And, oh, how right it was. I put my hand behind his neck and pulled him toward me, kissing him lightly at first, like he had, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. The kiss soon became rougher, though, as we both allowed our desire to take over. I put both my hands around his neck as he grabbed my hips and pulled me onto his lap. I straddled him, kissing him harder. He licked my bottom lip, and I opened my mouth slightly, just enough to let him in.

I began to feel lightheaded. I pulled away, gasping for the breath I had deprived myself of the entire time we had been kissing. After our breathing slowed, I looked at him and bit my lip, hoping that I hadn't pushed him too far. His face said everything his lips didn't, and I knew I hadn't. His hair was ruffled from my hands. His skin was flushed. I couldn't resist anymore. My hands found their way back into his hair, and I kissed him again, starting where we had left off. I licked his bottom lip, unable to fight back the urges anymore. He gladly parted his lips and allowed my tongue in. I pressed my body against him harder. He ran his hands down my sides, then grabbed me by my hips, and laid me on my back, positioning himself on top of me. I could feel the slight pressure his body left on me. He used his right arm to prop himself up, and his left arm snaked underneath me and pulled me up toward him. My hands left his hair and snuck underneath his shirt. I ran my hands down along his chest and stomach, feeling the outline of every muscle on the way. I couldn't hide the shudder this time as my desire clouded my mind. I wrapped my arms around his hips and pulled him down toward me just as he pulled me up toward him.

Then, he pulled away. We were both gasping. I couldn't deny that I was disappointed he had stopped; I hadn't wanted to. But, I knew it was the best thing for us to wait, and not make any decision in the heat of the moment. I looked up at him with a huge smile, reassuring him that he had done all the right things. He kissed the tip of my nose, and I couldn't help but smile wider. We stared at each other for a long time, just enjoying the perfection of the moment.

Eventually, Draco stood, and pulled me up with him. We held hands as he walked me back to the common room. When we arrived, I immediately turned to him and embraced him, not wanting to let him go, wanting to enjoy every single solitary second I had with him.

He hugged me back, then whispered "I hope I didn't go too far."

I looked up at him to see his fear and guilt were genuine. Oh, if only he knew how much further I had wanted him to go. He had been now here near going too far.

"Oh, no, Draco. Not at all. I mean, it wasn't all you," I tried to reassure him, but bit my lip, suddenly embarrassed by how strong my lust really was. "I encouraged it just as much as you did. I-I wanted it just as much as you did," I admitted, my embarrassment undeniable now. I forced myself to look him in the eyes, and I could see his desire was just as strong as mine. He took a deep breath and smiled.

"Okay. As long as you're sure. Good night, Dahlia," he said as he pulled me back into his chest.

"I am, I promise. Good night, Draco. I'll see you tomorrow?" I didn't even try to hide my hope.

"Of course, Love. I'll miss you," he assured me. I couldn't help but smile. That was the first time he had told me he would miss me.

"I'll miss you, too," I agreed, honestly. I turned from him and walked through the empty common room and up to my dorm, falling into bed, smiling to myself as I thought about everything that had just happened and how I knew I would replay it in my dreams.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Hey guys, I know it keeps taking me super long to update, and I'm sorry about that. I'm just dealing with a bunch of stuff right now, so I haven't had much time to write. I'm going to keep trying to update more often, though, just no guarantees. Anyway, hope you like the chapter. Review, if you'd like, and I'll try to have a new chapter up soon :]

Dahlia's POV:

I woke up early the next morning. I thought of the previous night and couldn't help but smile to myself. I crawled out of bed, grabbed my clothes, and retreated to the bathroom to shower. Scarlett was already ready by the time I got out.

"Hey," she smiled at me. "How did last night go?"

I tried to act calm, but I couldn't contain the smile that soon conquered my face. "We kissed," I said simply.

Scarlett smiled back at me. "Aww," she teased, "it's about time." We both laughed as we exited the common room.

I saw Draco sitting in his usual seat when we entered the classroom. I couldn't help but s smile when I saw him. I sat down next to him, as I had done for the past few weeks, and he smiled at me.

"Hey, I missed you," he greeted me as I sat down.

"I missed you, too," I admitted. I was just glad that we could be around each other after what happened last night without it being awkward. He automatically grabbed my hand as I sat down. I squeezed his hand and smiled at him.

Class passed by quickly, too quickly considering I didn't have any classes with Draco for the rest of the day. After we got out of Charms, Draco walked me to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Once we reached the door, he pulled me to the side.

"I'll see you at lunch?" The obvious hope in his voice made me giddy.

"Of course. Meet me in the Entrance Hall, like always?" I smiled up at him. He nodded, then leaned toward me and planted a soft kiss on my lips.

"I'll see you then, Love," he smiled the turned around and left toward his class. I stood there for a moment, stunned. I hadn't been expecting him to just kiss me like that. I slowly raised my hand to my lips and smiled. I walked into the classroom and sat down in my usual seat next to Scarlett.

"That was cute," she commented casually, not even looking up from the notes she had in front of her. I just looked at her and laughed.

I looked up to notice my cousin, Renee, sitting across the room, glaring at me. I just glared back. I was in too good a mood to let her get me down. Besides, she always seemed to be glaring at me nowadays. It was nothing new.

After class was over, I walked quickly out of the classroom, eager to meet Draco. As soon as I walked out of the door and into the hallway, however, I felt someone grab my arm and pull me to the side. I looked up to see Finn pulling me away from the crowd.

"Ow, you're hurting me," I scolded him for grabbing my arm so hard.

He ignored me, but let go of my arm. "I thought I told you to stay away from Malfoy."

"I thought I told you it's none of your business," I retorted.

"It is my business; I'm your friend."

"If you were truly my friend, you wouldn't be behaving this way." What made him think he had the right to treat me this way?

"What's so bad about the way I'm behaving?"

"You're acting like a child-"

"I'm acting like a child?" Finn interrupted me. "You're the one who's acting like a child."

"How am I acting like a child?"

"You're gallivanting around with Malfoy as if he's some innocent little puppy. Well guess what, Dahlia. He isn't. He's a bad guy."

"You know nothing about him, how dare you judge him like that," I raised my voice a bit. The halls were now empty, since everyone had left for lunch, so there was no risk of making a scene.

"I've seen enough of him over the years to know about what a jerk he is. You deserve better than that."

"He is better than that, Finn. You don't know him like I do."

"Oh, Dahlia, you're so blind. Can't you see he's lying to you? He's evil, Dahlia. He's rude and snobbish to everyone here, and everyone knows about his family's affiliations."

"He's more than people give him credit for, Finn. Now stop insulting him, or you're going to lose me as a friend." He looked hurt by this, but I refused to back down. He needed to respect my boundaries, and my boyfriend.

"I can't let it go, Dahlia," he said as he stared at the floor.

"Why not? Doesn't our friendship mean anything to you?"

"You mean everything to me, Dahlia. I'm in love with you, and I refuse to watch you getting involved with someone like Draco Malfoy," he looked up at me now.

I just stood there, dumbstruck. Why did he have to do this? Why me? Why Finn? Why now? Why did Finn have to do this to me now? I didn't know what to do. I had never liked Finn as anything more than a friend; I still didn't. I refused to encourage his feelings when I knew they could never be reciprocated.

Finn took my silence as an invitation to continue. "Come on, Dahlia. You know we should be together."

"No," I said softly, little more than a whisper.

"Don't deny it, Dahlia."

"No," I said louder, asserting my position.

"You know we're perfect together; we should be together."

"No," I practically yelled this time. Why wouldn't he stop?

"I love you, Dahlia, and I know you love me."

"I don't love you, I love him!" I did yell this time. I would stand for none of this. Finn was acting ridiculous and he needed to understand that I didn't want him like that. I didn't care if I was being harsh; he had pushed me to it.

I saw Finn's eyes shift behind me, then quickly back to me. Without another word, he turned around and walked away.

I took a deep breath, then turned around to see what Finn had been looking at. My breath caught in my throat. Standing there, looking directly at me, was Draco Malfoy. How much had he heard? I knew just by how loud I had yelled that he had at least heard the last part. Draco Malfoy had just heard me admit that I loved him. I felt my face grow hot and my heart start to pound. It was silent for a few moments, then he spoke.

"When I saw Scarlett come down without you, I became a little concerned. I waited a few minutes, and when you still didn't come down, I came to look for you," he explained.

I was breathing heavily by now, almost hyperventilating. No, this couldn't be happening. No, no, no! I couldn't handle this, not now. I turned around and ran.

I could hear Draco's footsteps behind me. I ran as fast as I could. I could feel the tears rise in my eyes, but I forced them back down. I kept running.

It didn't take him long to catch up with me. Not surprising, considering he is almost a foot taller than me. When he caught up to me, he grabbed me and pulled me into his arms. I couldn't help it. A few tears escaped as I pressed my face into his chest.

"Why are you crying?" he asked as he held me.

"I didn't mean for you to hear that," I said quietly as I pulled away to look at him. It took every ounce of courage I had to look him in the eyes.

"So why does me hearing it make you cry?" he pressed.

"I like this; I like us," I said, motioning to the both of us. "I don't want to say or do anything to ruin it."

"Why would you admitting you love me ruin us?" he looked genuinely confused.

I flinched slightly as he said the problem out loud, but answered anyway. "Usually, one-sided love ruins relationships," I smiled a sad smile.

"Who says it's one-sided?" he asked.

It was my turn to be confused. "What do you mean?"

"What makes you think I don't love you?" he questioned further.

"Come on, Draco, don't joke about stuff like that. You could have any girl you want in this entire school. Why the hell would you fall for me? I know I'm not a bad person, and I know I'm not unattractive, but look at you. You embody charm and charisma and sex appeal. I just- it's only been a few days since we started dating. I can't expect you to love me already," I concluded, though I knew my argument was weak and somewhat sporadic.

He looked crestfallen for a split second, but determination soon covered his face. He placed his finger under my chin and lifted my face until I was looking him in the eyes.

"Did you mean it?" he asked. I bit my lip and slowly nodded. "You're wrong," he told me. I looked at the ground; I didn't want to hear this. "I do love you," he finished.

My head shot up and I looked at his face. A small smile played at the corner of his lips.

"Really?" I asked. I had to know. He nodded. A huge smile took over my face. I threw my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his. He wrapped his arms around my waist, picked me up, and spun me around. Our lips didn't part until my feet hit the floor.

"You want to go on a walk?" he asked as he put me down.

"Yes," I agreed, smiling a huge smile up at him. He grabbed my hand and led me down the stairs.


	20. Chapter 20

Draco's POV:

I shot up in my bed, breathing heavily, sweat pouring down my face. I felt my face grow red as I realized what had happened. My dreams had taken me back to the Room of Requirement, with Dahlia. Except the dream version had been much more graphic than the real version. I groaned as I fell back into bed and covered my face with my pillow.

"Nice bulge," I heard someone say as the door to the dorm opened. I looked up to see Blaise Zabini, smirking at me. "I guess that Dahlia girl really gets you going," he chuckled.

"Oh, piss off," I growled at him. It wasn't that I didn't like Blaise. On the contrary, I liked him quite well. He was pretty much the only Slytherin who didn't act like I was a traitor for being with Dahlia. That and, unlike Crabbe and Goyle, Blaise actually had a head on his shoulders.

He laughed at my response. "Oh, come off it. I was only joking. Besides, I've seen Dahlia, and she could get any man going." He chuckled again as my jaw hung open before I snapped it shut and glared daggers at him. The idea of anybody else looking at _my_ Dahlia like that was not an idea I was very fond of.

I begrudgingly crawled out of bed and walked to the bathrooms to take a quick, and cold, shower. After I was done, I wrapped a towel around myself, walked back to the dorm room, grabbed my clothes, and got dressed. As I walked through the common room, every pair of eyes glared at me. I simply glared back and continued on my way.

Once I was in the hallway, Blaise walked up to me, a knowing look in his eye. "You knew what you were getting into when you got involved with a Gryffindor."

"It's nobody's damn business who I am or am not involved with," I seethed.

"I know, mate, and I agree," he explained. "I just know the rest of the house is royally pissed, and you're going to see hell for this. So, I guess I was just wondering, is she worth it?"

I looked at him, completely confident with my answer, "Yes. She is worth it."

He simply nodded, seeming to accept my answer, and continued walking with me, taking his normal seat once we reached the classroom. I had only been in my seat a few moments when Dahlia took her seat next to me. I couldn't help but smile at her.

"Hey, I missed you," I admitted as she took her seat.

"I missed you, too," she agreed, smiling at me. I grabbed her hand, hating being so close to her without touching her. She squeezed my hand and smiled. Class passed by quickly. But I relished every moment I had with Dahlia.

After class was over, I walked her to her class, then I pulled her to the side so I could talk to her without the entire class listening in. "I'll see you at lunch?" I asked. I was already pretty sure the answer was yes, seeing as we spent most of our time together, but I just wanted an excuse to have a few more moments with her before we left to our separate classes. Besides, I knew we had been spending a lot of time together, and I wanted to make sure she didn't want to spend time with her friends today, instead.

"Of course. Meet me in the Entrance Hall, like always?" she smiled up at me. I nodded, smiling back. Then, I did it without thinking. All I knew was that I wanted to feel her lips on mine again. I leaned in, and planted a soft kiss on her lips, pulling away before I let myself get too involved.

"I'll see you then, Love," I smiled at her again before turning around and walking to my class. She looked slightly stunned, and I couldn't help but feel satisfied that it had been my kiss that had done that to her.

Blaise caught up with me again as we walked toward the Transfiguration classroom. "You kissed her in public," he stated the obvious.

"Yeah. So?" I didn't really see his point.

"You're tempting fate, aren't you, mate? Can you imagine what's going to be waiting for you in the common room tonight?"

He was right. It was one thing to sleep with a girl. It was another thing to date a girl. And, it was an entirely different thing to show your affection for a girl right in front of everyone, especially if that girl was in your rival house.

"Oh well," I shrugged it off. No matter how right he was, the deed was already done. And, quite honestly, no matter what the other Slytherins did to me, I would never regret that kiss. So, the point was really irrelevant.

Blaise sat next to me in class this time. "So, Dahlia's really that great, is she?" he inquired again.

I nodded, "Yeah, she is. Why?"

"Well, what about her friend, Scarlett. How is she?" he smirked at me.

I looked at him, dumbfounded. "You're telling me all about how dangerous it is to be involved with a Gryffindor when you're interested in one yourself?"

"Uh, well, yeah," he chuckled. "Hell, if you can do it, then why can't I? I'm already going to be shunned for not shunning you. Might as well get something good out of it."

I chuckled. He really did have a point. "Uh, I don't know her that well, but she seems nice. I'll put in a good word for you," I laughed again. Who knew that I would cause such a ripple effect just by being with Dahlia?

I ignored the glares (now sent at both Blaise and me) the rest of the class. After class was over, I walked to the Entrance Hall to meet Dahlia, Blaise accompanying me.

When I saw Scarlett walk down the stairs without Dahlia, I grew a little concerned, but I chuckled as I realized Blaise was still beside me.

"Now's your chance," I told him, nodding in Scarlett's direction.

He smirked. "I guess it is. See you later," he smirked as he walked toward Scarlett and began to talk to her.

A few more minutes passed, and Dahlia still didn't come down. My concern took over as I ascended the stairs. As I got closer to Dahlia's classroom, I heard people talking, one of them being Dahlia.

"No," I heard her say. My heart rate quickened. What is that bastard had found her again? I quickened my pace.

"You know we're perfect together; we should be together," the other person replied. What was going on?

"No," Dahlia yelled. I began running, hoping I could get to her before anything bad happened.

"I love you, Dahlia, and I know you love me," the foreign voice replied. Who the hell was this guy? Why wouldn't he leave my Dahlia alone? Why couldn't he see that she wanted me, and not him?

"I don't love you, I love him!" Dahlia yelled right as I rounded the corner to see her and that guy, Finn, standing across from her. He looked up at me as I entered. I sent him the coldest glare I had ever given anyone. He needed to leave Dahlia alone. It was her choice who she wanted to be with, and she had chosen to be with me. He looked back at Dahlia again before turning around and walking away.

Dahlia turned around, but stopped when she saw me. It was silent for a few moments, except for the sound of her accelerated breathing. When I realized she was going to speak, I broke the silence.

"When I saw Scarlett come down without you, I became a little concerned. I waited a few minutes, and when you still didn't come down, I came to look for you," I explained. What was wrong? I could tell that she was upset, I just didn't know why. Then, she turned around and ran away from me. Why was she running from me? I followed her, quickly catching up to her. I grabbed her and pulled her toward me, wrapping my arms around her. I could feel her tears soak through my shirt.

"Why are you crying?" I asked.

"I didn't mean for you to hear that," she mumbled, pulling away to look me in the eyes.

"So why does me hearing it make you cry?" I was honestly confused. She had just said that she loved me. We should be happy. So why was she crying?

"I like this; I like us," she tried to explain, motioning between us with her hands. "I don't want to say or do anything to ruin it."

"Why would you admitting you love me ruin us?" I was honestly confused. Was I missing something?

"Usually, one-sided love ruins relationships," she smiled sadly up at me.

"Who says it's one-sided?" I asked, now understanding why she was upset.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"What makes you think I don't love you?" I asked, trying to hide the sadness in my voice. How could she think I didn't love her? I thought I had made it clear that I did. Even if I hadn't said it, I had shown it, right?

"Come on, Draco, don't joke about stuff like that. You could have any girl you want in this entire school. Why the hell would you fall for me? I know I'm not a bad person, and I know I'm not unattractive, but look at you. You embody charm and charisma and sex appeal. I just- it's only been a few days since we started dating. I can't expect you to love me already," she finished, muttering the last little bit. I felt my face fall slightly. She really thought I didn't love her. How could I have allowed her to fall into that misconception? I placed my finger under her chin and lifted her face until she reluctantly looked me in the eyes.

"Did you mean it?" I asked, wondering if she really reciprocated or if she was simply trying to rid herself of that Finn guy. She bit her lip and nodded. My heart rate accelerated.

"You're wrong," I informed her. She looked at the ground, a sad expression on her face. Her face looked so wrong with a frown on it. "I do love you," I explained, quickly fixing the mistake I had made that had caused her to frown.

She looked up at me. I could help but smile at the happiness I saw dancing in those sapphire eyes.

"Really?" she asked me. I nodded, and a huge smile took over her face. I smiled, glad she was back to her normal, happy self. She threw her arms around my neck and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around her, picked her up, and spun her around, kissing her the entire time.

"You want to go for a walk?" I asked as I set her back down.

"Yes," she agreed, smiling at me. I grabbed her hand as we walked down the stairs.


	21. Chapter 21

Draco's POV:

We continued down the stairs and out of the castle, holding hands the whole time. I could feel Dahlia's happiness radiating off of her, and I knew my own happiness was just as apparent.

We walked down to the lake, sitting on the shore. She leaned her head on my shoulder, and I ran my fingers through her hair. We sat like that for a long while before we heard someone approaching us. We both turned to see Marcus Flint walking toward us.

"Malfoy!" he yelled at us. I looked at Dahlia, worried for her safety. I knew a confrontation was imminent, and I didn't want her to get hurt. She looked back at me with worry in her eyes. I grabbed her hand and we stood up, turning to face Flint.

"What can I help you with, Flint?" I asked as he walked up to us. I was trying to make this as calm as possible, for Dahlia's sake, but I couldn't help sneering his name a little.

"You can help me by dumping that tramp next to you. You being with that filth," he gave Dahlia a disgusted look, "is ruining the Slytherin reputation."

I felt my blood boil. Nobody could insult Dahlia like that. Nobody, not while I was around to do anything about it. I felt Dahlia squeeze my hand, obviously trying to calm me, though I knew she was just as upset as I was. She wasn't a fragile, docile girl, and I knew she was only holding her tongue for my sake.

"Excuse me, but I think it is only my reputation I am ruining, seeing as the rest of you have maintained the cold reactions to my behavior that was expected of you. With all due respect, however little that may be, it is none of your concern what I do in my free time, or who I spend my free time with. So, Flint, why don't you piss off, so I can spend time with this so-called filth. She is much better company than you, if I do say so myself." I smirked at his baffled expression. I glanced at Dahlia out of the corner of my eye to see the same smirk plastered on her face.

"You'll regret this, Malfoy. You know what's coming for you," Flint sneered, and then stalked away. I leaned over and kissed Dahlia on the top of her head.

"You okay, Love?" I asked.

"Yes," she reassured me, "but, I am worried."

"What are you worried about?" I inquired.

"I've got you into all this trouble," she bit her lip, and looked down, "what if you get hurt because of me? No offense, but they're Slytherins. They don't exactly fight fair. What if they gang up on you, or set up traps for you. What if you get seriously hurt? What's going to happen then?"

"Shh," I cooed. "Don't worry, Dahlia. Everything will be okay. Sure, they're pissed, and yeah, they're probably planning some way to get back at me right now, but, honestly, they're all bloody cowards. No matter what they do, I can handle it, and I'm going to handle it, because the only other option is not being with you, and, truly, that's not an option at all," I stroked her cheek with my thumb.

She smiled weakly up at me, and squeezed my hand. She stood on her tiptoes and planted a quick peck on my cheek. I was momentarily surprised, then I grinned at her. I looked around and saw students milling around, heading to their classes. It seemed as if nobody had even noticed the small confrontation that had just occurred.

Dahlia looked around, too. "We should probably get to class, then, huh?" she asked, obviously a little annoyed.

"Yeah, I suppose we should," I begrudgingly agreed.

"Meet me in the Entrance Hall after class?" she asked, smiling at me.

"Of course," I agreed, smiling back at her and kissing her forehead before watching her walk off toward the greenhouses and retreating into the castle to attend my own class.

After class was over, I waited patiently in the Entrance Hall for Dahlia. She didn't keep me waiting this time, and arrived rather quickly, with a very animated Scarlett telling her something and her smiling. She bid Scarlett ado, and walked over to me.

"Well, seems like Scarlett is pretty happy," I stated, a knowing look in my eye.

Dahlia looked at me, recognition on her face. "Yeah, seems like your friend Zabini has taken a keen interest in her," she smirked at me, "though, I'm sure you already knew that."

I shrugged, "I had a hunch," we both laughed.

"Seriously, though, does he really like her, or is he just being a jerk?" she asked, worry evident in her eyes.

"I promise, he really likes her, and if he is a jerk, I'll kick his ass myself," I smiled at her. She smiled back, seeming to be satisfied with my answer. I grabbed her hand, and led her up the stairs. We had a couple hours to kill before dinner, so we just walked around the castle, talking about any topic that came up. We received glares from all the Slytherins, and even some from other houses. I ignored them, and Dahlia didn't even seem to notice them, so I didn't say anything.

When it was finally time for dinner, we walked into the Great Hall. I noticed Blaise and Scarlett were sitting together, at the end of the Gryffindor table where Dahlia and I usually sat. We walked over and sat down across from them.

"Hey, Lovebirds, glad to see you two could take a break from snogging long enough to make an appearance at dinner" Blaise announced as we sat down.

"You two seem to be hitting it off pretty well, yourselves," I heard Dahlia chime in next to me. I smirked, proud that she could hold her own against the Slytherin boy.

"Touché, Gryffindor," Blaise smirked at her and she smirked right back. I began filling my plate with food, as the other three did the same. I looked around to find nearly every eye in the Great Hall looking at us. Not only were they still surprised about me and Dahlia, but now Blaise was spending time with Scarlett, too. I knew how the Slytherins saw it. A disease, a plague, that was spreading; a plague that needed to be eradicated. I glanced over at the Slytherin table, only for their sneers to confirm my thoughts. I just smirked back at them, knowing that would piss them off.

After dinner, Dahlia and I set off on our own, wandering aimlessly until we decided to sit in an empty corridor in some obscure part of the castle. She leaned her head on my shoulder, and I kissed the top of her head.

"Draco?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes, Dahlia?" I replied.

"Are you sure I'm worth it?" she whispered into the silence.

"You are more than worth it, Dahlia. I mean that." I felt her smile into my chest. I lifted her chin and gently pressed my lips to hers. When I pulled away, she still had her eyes closed. She slowly opened them and smiled at me.

"Come on, you should be getting to bed," I said as we stood up.

"I'm a big girl, completely capable of choosing my own bed time, thanks," she responded playfully.

"I know," I reassured her, chuckling. "But, you're also a big girl who still has homework to do. And I don't want to be a distraction."

"Fine," she huffed, following after me as we wandered through the corridors, eventually figuring out where we were, and heading for Gryffindor tower. I held her close to me when we reached the entrance to her common room. Her scent wafted toward me and I relished every second of it. When she finally pulled away, she looked up at me, worry on her face.

"Be careful, okay?" she asked, biting her lip.

"Don't worry, Dahlia. I'll be okay. I promise," I tried to reassure her, cupping her face in my hand as I did. She simply nodded weakly at me, and turned to enter the common room.

"Hey," I called to her. She turned slowly back to face me. "I love you," I said, slightly shakily. I had never said it to anybody except my mother, and I was still a little wary of showing my true feelings, but it was true, and I knew it would make her feel better.

Her smile became genuine as she walked back toward me and through her arms around my neck, kissing me gently. "I love you too," she said as we broke apart. She took one last glance at me before entering her common room. I stared at the portrait for a few minutes before reluctantly trudging down to the dungeons.

When I arrived at the entrance to the common room, I saw Blaise leaning against a wall in the corridor. He looked up when he heard me approach.

"You waited for me?" I asked, confused.

"I figured we stood a better chance if we entered together," he admitted.

"I suppose you're right," I agreed. "Well, I guess we should get this over with," I said, beckoning him toward the common room. He simply nodded and followed me through the entrance.


	22. Chapter 22

Dahlia's POV:

Draco led me down the stairs and to the lake. We sat by the shore; I rested my head on his shoulder and he ran his fingers through my hair. It was immensely soothing, until we heard someone approaching from behind us. We both turned to see Marcus Flint.

"Malfoy!" He called out to Draco. I looked at Draco, worried about what was about to happen. I could see my worry mirrored in his eyes. I knew this would happen, but I had still been dreading it. Was I really worth everything Draco would have to go through to be with me? We both stood and turned to face the Flint boy.

"What can I help you with, Flint?" he asked as soon as the Flint boy was relatively close to us. I could tell he was fighting to remain calm and composed, but was finding it difficult.

"You can help me by dumping that tramp next to you. You being with that filth," he gave me a look of utter disgust "is ruining the Slytherin reputation." I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from retorting. I knew Draco was already going to face hell for me, and I refused to make the situation worse. I tightened my grip on Draco's hand to try and restrain my anger.

"Excuse me, but I think it is only my reputation I am ruining, seeing as the rest of you have maintained the cold reactions to my behavior that was expected of you. With all due respect, however little that may be, it is none of your concern what I do in my free time, or who I spend my free time with. So, Flint, why don't you piss off, so I can spend time with this so-called filth. She is much better company than you, if I do say so myself." Draco replied, smirking. I couldn't help but smirk, too. Flint was obviously livid, but he deserved every bit of it.

"You'll regret this, Malfoy. You know what's coming for you," Flint sneered, then walked away. My smirk faltered. I knew he would face opposition, but he had just been blatantly threatened. I couldn't help but be worried.

Draco leaned over and kissed the top of my head. "You okay, Love?" he asked.

"Yes, but I am worried," I admitted.

"What are you worried about?" he asked me.

"I've got you into all this trouble," I looked down, ashamed about putting him through all this. "What if you get hurt because of me? No offense, but they're Slytherins. They don't exactly fight fair. What if they gang up on you, or set up traps for you. What if you get seriously hurt? What's going to happen then?" I couldn't hide my concern.

"Shh," he tried to soothe me. "Don't worry, Dahlia. Everything will be okay. Sure, they're pissed, and yeah, they're probably planning some way to get back at me right now, but, honestly, they're all bloody cowards. No matter what they do, I can handle it, and I'm going to handle it, because the only other option is not being with you, and, truly, that's not an option at all," he stroked my cheek. I leaned into his touch, comforted by the feeling of his skin on mine. I smiled up at him, though I knew it wasn't convincing. I stood on my tiptoes and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. I saw surprise flash across his features for a split second, but it was soon replaced with joy.

I looked around and noticed that students were walking toward their classrooms. "We should probably get to class, then, huh?" I asked, annoyed that I had to leave Draco for something as boring as Herbology.

"Yeah, I suppose we should," he reluctantly agreed.

"Meet me in the entrance Hall after class?" I asked him, smiling.

"Of course," he agreed, reciprocating my smile as I turned and began walking toward the greenhouses.

About five minutes into class, Scarlett walked in. I felt slightly guilty at not having noticed her absence in the first place, and confused, because Scarlett was never late. I gave her an inquiring look, and she mouthed 'after class' to me as she took her seat.

Class dragged on, as it always did. After it was over, Scarlett caught up to me.

"You'll never guess what happened!" she gushed as we headed toward the castle.

"No way, what?" I sarcastically mirrored her enthusiasm.

"At lunch, Blaise Zabini walked up to me and asked me if I wanted to hang out," she practically yelled, not even noticing my sarcasm.

"Whoa, really?" I asked. I was genuinely surprised. Draco had been a shock when he had first approached her, but now another Slytherin was attempting to bridge the gap? Maybe Slytherins weren't as bad as they seemed. Or, maybe he was just a jerk who was trying to punish Draco and me by hurting my friend.

"Yes, really! Can you believe it?" Scarlett radiated happiness. I simply smiled and nodded, not wanting to ruin her mood, but I made a note to ask Draco about it when I saw him. Scarlett gushed about Zabini the entire way to the Entrance Hall. When I saw Draco, I told Scarlett I would catch up to her later, and walked over to him.

"Well, seems like Scarlett is pretty happy," he stated, a mischievous glint in his eye. I quickly caught on.

. "Yeah, seems like your friend Zabini has taken a keen interest in her," I smirked at him, "though, I'm sure you already knew that."

"I had a hunch," he responded nonchalantly. I laughed along with him.

"Seriously, though, does he really like her, or is he just being a jerk?" I asked, feeling the need to clarify.

"I promise, he really likes her, and if he is a jerk, I'll kick his ass myself," he smiled at me, and I smiled back, feeling reassured. He grabbed my hand, and we walked around the castle, wasting the few hours we had until dinner with casual conversation, mostly criticizing the Slytherins we walked past.

When it was finally time for dinner, we entered the Great Hall to find Scarlett and Zabini sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table. We walked over and sat across from them.

"Hey, Lovebirds, glad to see you two could take a break from snogging long enough to make an appearance at dinner," Zabini teased as we sat down.

"You two seem to be hitting it off pretty well, yourselves," I replied with a smirk.

"Touché, Gryffindor," he smirked back at me, and Scarlett chuckled. We all began to fill our plates. I watched Scarlett with Blaise. She was giggling and smiling. She was happy. I looked over at Draco, and couldn't help but feel blessed. We came from two entirely different worlds, and, somehow, we seemed to complement each other perfectly. I smiled to myself, happy to have him.

After dinner, Draco and I wandered around the castle until we found an abandoned corridor and sat down next to each other. I leaned my head on his shoulder and he kissed the top of my head, nuzzling his nose into my hair. I closed my eyes at his touch, wanting to enjoy every second, worried that it may end soon, simply because other people had a problem with us being together.

After the silence and the worry became unbearable, I finally spoke. "Draco?" I asked.

"Yes, Dahlia?" he replied to the top of my head.

"Are you sure I'm worth it?" I weakly asked, not entirely sure I was ready for the answer.

"You are more than worth it, Dahlia. I mean that," he reassured. I couldn't help but smile. He lifted my chin and gently placed his lips on mine. When he pulled away, I kept my eyes closed, enjoying the lingering tingle that was left on my lips. I eventually opened them and smiled up at him.

"Come on, you should be getting to bed," he said as he pulled me up.

"I'm a big girl, completely capable of choosing my own bed time, thanks," I teased.

"I know," he chuckled. "But, you're also a big girl who still has homework to do. And I don't want to be a distraction."

"Fine," I reluctantly surrendered, following him through the corridors until we eventually arrived at the Gryffindor common room. He pulled me into his chest and held me for a long while. When we finally separated, I looked up at him, worried about what awaited for him downstairs.

"Be careful, okay?" I asked desperately.

"Don't worry, Dahlia. I'll be okay. I promise," he tried to reassure me, cupping my face in his hand. I nodded, and turned to enter the common room, the worry consuming me.

"Hey," he called out to me. I slowly turned around to look at him again, trying to avoid breaking down in front of him. "I love you," he said, his voice shaking. I didn't even try to hide my smile. It was like every fear and every worry was erased. Just hearing him say it reassured me past the point of contentment. In that moment, I knew everything would be okay, because no matter what, we would always have each other.

I walked over to him and threw my arms around his neck, kissing him gently on his perfectly soft lips. "I love you, too," I declared as we separated. I turned around to look at him one more time before entering the common room. I slowly walked up to my dorm and crawled into bed, ignoring the undone homework that sat in my bag. As I lay in bed, trying to find sleep, I couldn't help but wonder what Draco was going through all those floors below me.


End file.
